Today’s press conference has been specifically convened toconclusively deal with the circumstances of Clare Daly TD’s resignation fromthe Socialist Party which was announced in a statement released yesterday onthe party’s website.

The Socialist Party again wants to place on record its recognitionof the role of Clare Daly TD as a fighter and champion of workers’ rights whilea member of the Socialist Party for 25 years. In her work as a publicrepresentative in Dublin North and as a shop steward in Dublin Airport, she hasplayed an extremely important role as a workers’ representative. It is for thatreason that the Socialist Party expresses its profound disappointment at the recentturn of events.

Yesterday’s National Steering Committee meeting of the CampaignAgainst Household and Water Taxes which was attended by delegates from acrossthe state reaffirmed by overwhelming majorities in a number of motions theposition already taken at a previous meeting in June that a tax evader like MickWallace TD could not be involved in the campaign. That Clare Daly at yesterday’smeeting unfortunately sided with a very small minority who opposed these motionspresented by campaigners in Wexford, Kildare and Dublin West further confirmsour analysis that her political supportfor him lies at the core of her divergence from the party.

Clare Daly has avoided the issue of her political supportfor Mick Wallace in her statement to the press and her interview on RTE Radio’sThis Week programme and has arguedthat her resignation relates to the fact that she sees he need for a greater emphasisto be placed on the building of the United Left Alliance. This is not accurate.

The many discussions that took place between Clare Daly andleading party members in June and July were all focused on the question of herpolitical support for Mick Wallace. Clare Daly simply did not raise any points relatingto a greater emphasis on the ULA in recent months.

The Socialist Party as co-initiators of both the United LeftAlliance and the Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes is deeply committedand puts in serious resources into both projects. From these two initiativesthe potential to build a mass left political alternative in the months andyears ahead is clear.

Working class people will face a further onslaught on theirliving standards in the coming budget. The cuts implemented in the HSE give aglimpse of the savagery that will be unleashed by the Fine Gael / Labourgovernment. On top of the household tax, we also face the imposition ofproperty and water taxes – both designed to make working people pay for thecrisis and bail-out the bankers and bondholders.

The Socialist Party is confident that there will beresistance to these attacks. We feel that a mass movement can be built toresist austerity and these attacks. An essential part of this process is buildinga clear left political alternative to the capitalist crisis. The Socialist Party will be turning its attention now to build this movement in the weeks andmonths ahead.

First press statement on this matter can be found here: http://socialistparty.net/component/content/article/3-newsflash/1030-clare-daly-resigns-from-the-socialist-party

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