Killian Forde confirms to Politics.ie that he has resigned from Sinn Fein

[KingKane]

I won't post it here yet. I'm going to forward it to our other councillors to use.

Sorry, I thought this was some fantastic idea that would save the city council money and hence, according to you, those who were on 100% waivers from having to pay any bin charges. But you prefer to keep it to yourself for "our other councillors to use". Great to see where your priority lies.

[StillSetanta]

Sorry, I thought this was some fantastic idea that would save the city council money and hence, according to you, those who were on 100% waivers from having to pay any bin charges. But you prefer to keep it to yourself for "our other councillors to use". Great to see where your priority lies.

No, I'm going to have the SF Councillors submit it to the council and hopefully show savings can be made without cutting services and waivers before I post it here.

[Scribbler]

No, I'm going to have the SF Councillors submit it to the council and hopefully show savings can be made without cutting services and waivers before I post it here.

Good on you.

[turdsl]

Alan, you're needed on this thread, 'Sinn Fein - how can they get back on track?', everybody is saying it's time to dump Adams.

What a stupid comment, who the hell is, Everybody, I never met him,There will be an election in a few weeks, it is the people of Weat Belfast who will decide to dump Adams,if so, so be it,Sinn Fein gets a new leader
and moves on,will you be able do to the same,The electorate must be repected evan if we do not agree with it

[Gordon Freeman]

While on most councils the party groups form an operating majority there isn't usually a whip applied and even more significantly the party HQ don't tell the cllrs what way to vote on issues.

The disturbing thing about SF in Dublin is that the Dublin SF group including a lot of unelected bureaucrats mandate their cllrs on what way they should vote on issues on DCC. I find that bizarre.

I could understand if the SF group of Cllrs on DCC voted among themselves and took a position or his local branch or constituencts heavily swayed the vote, but that isn't what happens. Control is centralized it would appear and it seems to far from democratic.

That is not true, the officer board are guided by the wishes of the the Dublin Cúige cumann's and the votes of the ard fheis. The result is democratic, the problem being that SF in Dublin is very left, so it is been drawn away from the broader community, given that it is so left, people who would describe themselves as social democrats or "worse" do not fit in, so they move on.

The is a load of shíte. Yes, individual cumainn supposedly select delegates who participate in the Dublin regional committee. Firstly, in many cumainn, no formal vote occurs for the selection of said delegates: they are often simply announced. Even when delegates are democratically selected and they attend a Cúige meeting, it's very clear that the agenda has already been set: orders are given, expected to be complied with. No 'debate' ever occurs. Same with many S.F. selection conventions: Mary Lou MacDonald was selected by the backroom apparatchiks and a token challenge was mounted by Cllr. Mark Daly (cumainn secretaries were privately instructed by the powers that be that MacDonald was the candidate and to vote accordingly). All completely stage-managed. Nothing unexpected is ever allowed to occur: potentially "off-message" people are sidelined.

The funny thing is that Killian took part in a broad discussion with DSF membership about the council estimates. The broader membership also voted to endorse a position to vote against the council budget in a very fair and democratic way. This empowers the membership and includes them in important decisions being made that affect DSF's policy and politics in the city. Killian knew all of this and still when he left he moaned and whinged about the party being undemocratic. Strange.

All the rumours and nonsense that circulate about some hidden politburo operating in DSF is pure bull. The membership are across every move and participate widely in all those important discussions. I for one am happy to have such an input and I know almost all the membership are happy with the process.
You'll always have the odd one or two headcases involved like any political party!

That is pure bull and you know it. A classic example is the disastrous selection convention of D.M.W. and Joanne Spain, neé Corcoran, engaged to the then-An Phoblacht editor. She was imposed upon the local organization by diktat of No.44. There were three selection conventions until Cllr. Shane O'Connor put an end to it and weighed in behind her. A variety of people and became Éirigí. This sort of thing has occurred many, many times. Think Mike McKee in Shannon and the attempted circumventing of Peter Clarke in Ballina (his own organization left and campaign as "Independent Sinn Féin". He was elected successfully). Dirty tricks against "troublesome" individuals are rife; if someone is seen to be too independent, outspoken or insufficiently deferential to the higher-ups, the moves are put in place to get rid of them. Often it's presented as replacing loyal stalwarts (who wish to retire) with bright, young people (No.44 clones; "on-message" and straight out of college with a U.C.D./Trinity/N.U.I. Galway degree in sociology. They say in Sinn Féin, "there are no personal fiefdoms" (Daithí Doolan). Perhaps, but the quality of Sinn Féin candidate today is píss-poor; people who are too young, do not know enough about life (beyond the biography of Ché the read last month) and have never worked a real job in the past. I mean a proper career; there are too many N.G.O./former party worker/"community worker" types standing as candidates. Where are the college college lecturers? Doctors? Engineers? Research scientists? Is that all Sinn Féin has to offer, "communitiy activists" with Masters' in Politics from U.C.C.? Like Gilmore, Quinn and others, they have no real experience in the economy, not worthwhile candidates.

[Gordon Freeman]

As far as I know the ordinary member of DSF has a direct input into debating and formulating policy, through the Ciuge. All councillors attend these meetings. The existence of a room full of dark bureacats dictating who says what is a figment of some peoples imagination.
And it might be acceptable to Labour members and others to have their councillors decide on Policy for them, but members in DSF are entrusted to be responsible and intelligent enough to be given the opportunity to debate,discuss and decide, democratically ,the policys and direction that we want our councillors to propagate. A real political party where members are active from the ground work to the decision making.

R.S., W.L., M.McD., D.D., "Solas" and so forth?

[jdaly]

Quote:
Originally Posted by jdaly
Alan, you're needed on this thread, 'Sinn Fein - how can they get back on track?', everybody is saying it's time to dump Adams.


What a stupid comment, who the hell is, Everybody, I never met him,There will be an election in a few weeks, it is the people of Weat Belfast who will decide to dump Adams,if so, so be it,Sinn Fein gets a new leader
and moves on,will you be able do to the same,The electorate must be repected evan if we do not agree with it quote, turdsl

Turdsl, it's good to see you standing up for alan but surely you have heard of 'everybody'? he's a first cousin of 'yer man' who Gerry Adams talks to on his blog and is a near neighbour of those 'dogs on the street' who know so much.
I've re posted another bit of stuff for you to deal with as your other mate daftpunkt never answered me.


Quote:
Originally Posted by daftpunkt
The funny thing is that Killian took part in a broad discussion with DSF membership about the council estimates. The broader membership also voted to endorse a position to vote against the council budget in a very fair and democratic way. This empowers the membership and includes them in important decisions being made that affect DSF's policy and politics in the city. Killian knew all of this and still when he left he moaned and whinged about the party being undemocratic. Strange
All the rumours and nonsense that circulate about some hidden politburo operating in DSF is pure bull. The membership are across every move and participate widely in all those important discussions. I for one am happy to have such an input and I know almost all the membership are happy with the process.
You'll always have the odd one or two headcases involved like any political party! quote daftpunkt.

So what is it then, why are the membership selecting the 'headcases' as candidates? Can they not recognise these 'headcases' while they are Sinn Féin members? quote, jdaly
Can you answer that one, turdsl? what sort of 'headcase' select 'headcases' to run for election?

[David Cochrane]

Marc Coleman's show tonight on Newstalk from 10pm will be discussing Forde's defection to Labour - but can't get a SF rep to take a call during the show.

So if you're a shinner and have a view, email colemanatlarge@Newstalk.ie or text 53106 from 10.

[FutureTaoiseach]

Thanks. Otherwise would have missed it.

[KingKane]

Marc Coleman's show tonight on Newstalk from 10pm will be discussing Forde's defection to Labour - but can't get a SF rep to take a call during the show.

So if you're a shinner and have a view, email colemanatlarge@Newstalk.ie or text 53106 from 10.

And there was I watching Zombieland instead.