Whatever Happened to the ULA?

Whatever Happened to the ULA? Kieran Allen a failure to grasp the significance of what had occurred. A proposal to move the project forward towards creating a fully fledged party was shot down. The aim of the proposal was to create an opportu- nity for the many more to join and transform it from an organisation that was still rooted in the traditions of Irish Trotsky- ism to one which embraced other currents of opinion. Such a party, it was argued, could still give `tendency rights' to indi- vidual groupings to promote their distinc- The United Left Alliance is in a co- tive positions. This argument was, how- matose state from which recovery, at the ever, rejected by the Socialist Party. They moment, appears unlikely. Its steering argued that the òbjective conditions' were committee has not met since December not ripe for such a development and that and some of its participants have left. At a more emphasis needed to be placed devel- time when thousands of people are looking oping the `correct programme'. for an alternative to the political establish- ment, the radical left has proved unable Second, and linked to the first, the to forge a viable, broad organisation that ULA was organised as a three block al- could win their allegiance. Its demise has liance where each component had a veto. allowed the mainstream media to struc- Even if a majority on the Steering Com- ture political debate in terms of the gov- mittee or at a national meeting voted in ernment versus the Fianna Fail-Sinn Fein a particular way, a minority block could opposition. It was not always like this. veto the development. The People Before The United Left Alliance was formed in Profit Alliance strongly objected to this the run up to the 2011 General election approach as it was fundamentally undemo- and was composed of three organisations cratic and gave ULA members who were the People Before Profit Alliance, the So- not in any block fewer rights to partici- cialist Party and the Tipperary Workers pate than they even received in their union. and Unemployed Action Group. Discus- The veto structure also created a frame- sions on left unity had been underway for work whereby different factions tended to some years previously but the approaching frame political discussion around their en- election was the decisive event that moved trenched positions. some of the more reluctant elements for- The underlying tensions within the ward. After the election when five TDs ULA came to a head around the Wallace were elected, a series of public meetings affair. The Wexford TD, Mick Wallace, were organised which drew in over one had not paid his VAT taxes for a company thousand people. However, two key prob- he controlled, M.J, Wallace Ltd. Wallace lems quickly emerged. was a classic populist who talked left in First, there was an inherent conser- the Dail but took his role as a capital- vatism in some sections of the alliance and ist seriously - even to the extent of en- 17 tering disputes with SIPTU. As soon as Left'. Their departure at the time of the the affair broke out, the People Before Wallace affair was really about seizing an Profit representatives called for an emer- opportune moment to leave. gency meeting of the ULA steering Com- The Socialist Party's position was more mittee and pressed the ULA to call for influential within the alliance and their de- Wallace's resignation from the Dail. It ar- parture shook other elements. The SP argued that the left could not be associated gued that Clare Daly's activities in main- with any hypocrisy when it came to attack- taining a political connection with Mick ing the tax dodging techniques of capital- Wallace and the specific manner in which ists. However, while every other compo- she fought on the abortion issue in the nent of the ULA supported this view, the Dail represented a form of political op- Socialist Party vetoed the call for his resig- portunism. They claimed that the failure nation. It later transpired that there were of others to condemn her activities meant major difficulties inside their own ranks, as that ÙLA is compromised and cannot now one of their TDs - Clare Daly - was sup- be seen as an independent, principled Left portive of Wallace. alliance'. In departing, the SP suggested The manoeuvre, however, did not work that another vehicle could be found for as Clare Daly eventually left the SP. She their electoral ambitions. Their aim was to then sought a more active engagement in transform the Campaign Against House- the ULA but this in turn provoked the So- hold and Water Taxes into a quasi political cialist Party to lay down stringent con- party that would run candidates in elec- ditions about her role. When the ULA tions and thus create the basis for a `mass branch council voted down the SP's con- workers party'. ditions, they decided to leave the ULA. Almost everything about this state- Shortly beforehand the Tipperary Workers ment represented the worst elements of and Unemployed Action Group also left, sectarianism on the Irish left. Other ac- citing the Wallace affair and the `recruit- tivists also had concerns about a polit- ing' activities of both the SP and SWP. In ical association between Daly and Wal- reality, there was no justification for these lace, particularly as it led to a split on resignations and both, in their different the household charges campaign in Wex- ways, showed a myopic political approach ford. But while disagreeing with Clare that is unhelpful for constructing a broad Daly's stance on this issue, we have ac- left alliance or a new party. The Workers cepted that she is a socialist with every and Unemployed Action group had a trou- right to be part of the ULA. Attacking blesome relationship with the alliance from her stance on the abortion struggle rep- the very start. They opposed, for exam- resented the worst form of political pos- ple, every demand to increase corporation turing. If a broad party cannot accommo- profits tax and even vetoed a proposal for date a Clare Daly, then it will never ac- the ULA to support a Financial Transac- commodate hundreds of workers who have tion Tax on speculation. Instead of help- not yet drawn fully revolutionary conclu- ing to construct an open broad based cam- sions. A broad party or alliance has to paign around household charges in Tip- allow for difference and disagreements pre- perary, they centred all activity on their cisely because it must be a space where TD, Seamus Healy. The WUAG were the people are allowed to develop. It needs to most right wing force in the ULA and had focus on the 90% agreement between so- a highly localist hostility to the `Dublin cialists of different tendencies in order to 18 draw in the thousands of workers who have ing. An internalised atmosphere per- started to question capitalism. Departing vaded many of its gatherings be- from the ULA on the basis of hostility to cause of this emphasis. The assump- Clare Daly revealed a total irresponsibility tion was that if agreement could be towards wider working class politics. reached on an extensive socialist pro- Moreover, the attempt to transform the gramme, this would inoculate the CAHWT into a quasi political formation ULA against any reformist devia- will create even more problems. Many tions. In reality, a broad left party joined a single issue campaign against the needs a fairly minimal programme household tax and have started to gener- that rules out coalition with the right alise their anger against austerity. But it and centres its work on promoting does not follow that they will take a clear, struggle. Bonds forged with work- `principled' position on travellers' rights or ers in real struggles create a far bet- a woman's right to choose if they were ter dynamic than arid discussions of elected to parliament. Some may indeed who is more socialist than others. be a good deal less principled on these is- The tragedy of the ULA was that sues than the aforementioned Clare Daly. it did not engage in any real joint The unravelling of the ULA is undoubt- campaign. Even when its partici- edly a blow to the Irish left. There are pant groups helped to initiate the growing signs that Sinn Fein is preparing CAHWT, there was no shared dis- itself to enter a government with Fianna cussion on strategy. Bizarrely, this Fail after the next election and many ac- led elements of the ULA to argue tivists already sense this. They want a real against an emphasis on demonstra- left alternative. The departure of the ULA tions at the start of the household from the scene opens the road for other charges campaign - counter-posing it forces to fill that gap - including, unfortu- to a boycott. A modest proposal nately, right wing elements who can pose to end sectarian bickering between as a more militant opposition to the estab- ULA elements within that campaign lishment. Over the next period, the SWP was even voted down by those who will concentrate on building up the Peo- thought that `principled' arguments ple Before Profit Alliance as a more open, were necessary to advance the cam- inclusive project that unites all who want paign. to fight. Our experience over the past few months has indicated that this project can 2. Elections are not the end goal of so- attain a high level of local success and we cialists.

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