What's happening with the ULA?

[antiestablishmentarian]

By this I mean what steps have been taken to set up permanent structures, draft a party programme and give independents a greater voice in the running of the ULA? From what I can see, it's been drifting as an organisation since the by-election, notwithstanding involvement in trying to build opposition to household and water charges. Is there going to be a congress to properly found it any time soon, or are things going to continue as they have?

[Holly]

It looks like a loose coalition of left-wingers that works by approaching issues with a degree of dialog and participation by all members.
Were someone try to set up a politburo, the democrats would tell them buzz off.

[C. Flower]

By this I mean what steps have been taken to set up permanent structures, draft a party programme and give independents a greater voice in the running of the ULA? From what I can see, it's been drifting as an organisation since the by-election, notwithstanding involvement in trying to build opposition to household and water charges. Is there going to be a congress to properly found it any time soon, or are things going to continue as they have?

Full time workers (2) were appointed, and a membership card issued, that says you must support the programme. But there isn't so far as I know, a programme.

The ULA budget submission was written/drafted by a small group of people some of whom may not even have been members / socialists (it would be good for this to be clarified).

There seems to be no consensus amongst the SP membership as to whether the ULA should or should not be built as a mass party, rather than loose alliance.

When does the SP have its annual conference? Or the SWP? Those would seem to be the places to debate this and move it along.

It is open for the unaligned members to call a meeting themselves, I assume, and to put forward proposals.

[Pat]

Full time workers (2) were appointed, and a membership card issued, that says you must support the programme. But there isn't so far as I know, a programme..

There's obviously the programme that was agreed during the general election and the general idea of opposition to austerity, all cuts, privatisation and the need to build a new mass workers' party.


The ULA budget submission was written/drafted by a small group of people some of whom may not even have been members / socialists (it would be good for this to be clarified).

It was drafted by a ULA research staff in ULA Dail, with the TDs. All of whom are members and socialists.


There seems to be no consensus amongst the SP membership as to whether the ULA should or should not be built as a mass party, rather than loose alliance.

What is this wrong assumtion based on?

[culmore]

Maybe some of them have BIG HOUSES and only LEFT when in the public eye

[C. Flower]

There's obviously the programme that was agreed during the general election and the general idea of opposition to austerity, all cuts, privatisation and the need to build a new mass workers' party.



It was drafted by a ULA research staff in ULA Dail, with the TDs. All of whom are members and socialists.



What is this wrong assumtion based on?

Thanks for your useful reply. Is the ULA election programme still available on line?

This was some time before the launch of the ULA, was it not ?

Would it be out of order to ask who are the ULA research staff and how many? And if the future programme of the ULA will be drafted in the same way, i.e. with no discussion at branch level?

The assumption is based on what I've read here, in contributions from different members. As is inevitable, when there has been no formalisation of the organisation based on an agreed programme and terms of membership, everyone has their own personal view of what it is and what it ought to become.

[unspecific]

Thanks for your useful reply. Is the ULA election programme still available on line?

This was some time before the launch of the ULA, was it not ?

Would it be out of order to ask who are the ULA research staff and how many? And if the future programme of the ULA will be drafted in the same way, i.e. with no discussion at branch level?

The assumption is based on what I've read here, in contributions from different members. As is inevitable, when there has been no formalisation of the organisation based on an agreed programme and terms of membership, everyone has their own personal view of what it is and what it ought to become.

Every TD is entitled to 2 parliamentary assistants and I understand each registered party gets 400k over the life time of the Dail and a dedicated secretary. That's where the 2 dedicated ULA secretaries came from. The PBP got one of the secretary slots for a member of the SWP's national executive. I'm not sure who the other ULA secretary is.

The 400k that goes to each of the SP and PBP would be worth about 500k altogether if it went only to a ULA party. For that reason the ULA probably won't be a registered Dail party until the end of this Dail - thats not to say in practise it can't be a unified party for that reason, just on paper/for electoral purposes.

[Apjp]

Maybe some of them have BIG HOUSES and only LEFT when in the public eye

you have stated here that you want fascism. Please..

[Baron von Biffo]

Every TD is entitled to 2 parliamentary assistants and I understand each registered party gets 400k over the life time of the Dail and a dedicated secretary. That's where the 2 dedicated ULA secretaries came from. The PBP got one of the secretary slots for a member of the SWP's national executive. I'm not sure who the other ULA secretary is.

The 400k that goes to each of the SP and PBP would be worth about 500k altogether if it went only to a ULA party. For that reason the ULA probably won't be a registered Dail party until the end of this Dail - thats not to say in practise it can't be a unified party for that reason, just on paper/for electoral purposes.

The TDs might dispute the opinion that they're remaining as 2 separate groups just to scam €300k from the state.

[unspecific]

The TDs might dispute the opinion that they're remaining as 2 separate groups just to scam €300k from the state.

Well it'd have to become a party and not an alliance for that to be true. Until that happens, it's just the independent members that get "scammed" I'm afraid.