This statement relates to the Vote Left, Transfer Left position among six candidates in the Galway West by-election and what that means in the context of shared understandings and common goals. My campaign builds on what we established this past autumn. We came together with common cause for the next presidency. Our politics of solidarity showed that we across the left, parties, independents and non-political individuals can set aside differences for a shared goal. Our common cause now is to hold this seat on the left in Galway West - our continued politics of solidarity. Our actions are setting the stage for the next general election and showing the potential of a united left government is possible. To achieve this, many people will need to place that goal ahead of themselves; parties will need to compromise. We all recognise the complexities of global commerce. The recent Ditch post related to Niall Murphy highlights this. Employees of large multinationals may not be aware of the range of locations and divisions their employer operates. Some employees take action to address unethical practices, as Niall Murphy has done in the knowledge his employer is operating in the Occupied Territories and supporting the Israeli Defence Forces. However, Niall Murphy, the Green party candidate received shares in Cisco as part of his remuneration and he purchased more when given the opportunity.. He has not sold these shares, despite his own objections to Cisco’s behaviour in this contested region. If Niall was a private citizen this would not be of concern; however, Nial is participating in an agreed VLTL position among six candidates, including myself. While this is a matter for the Green party and their supporters, the tension created impacts this collaborative project, particularly in Galway West. In this context, this matter takes on greater significance.
The messy work of unity building needs time, reflection, give and take, and a generosity of spirit. A process to work through differences, and identify a path forward, will be needed, as this incident has highlighted. The alternative is the continued Fianna Fail / Fine Gael reign. As the convenor of the Connolly Campaign in Galway, I led the work of unity building. If elected TD, I will continue this work in the Dail, towards an alternative government for the people of Ireland. Sheila Garrity Independent Candidate, Galway West
Full text included in images posted to previous slides.
This statement relates to the Vote Left, Transfer Left position among six candidates in the Galway West by-election and what that means in the context of shared understandings and common goals.
#byelection
#galwaywest
#speirgorm
#VLTL
#voteleft
