I had my reasons for joining FF — It wasn’t done lightly
My decision to join Fianna Fail angered and puzzled many people but the party has moved on, writes Stephen Donnelly
‘I see a party going back to its social democratic roots’
‘EVERYBODY hates you.” I was warned not to look at social media, but you know how it is. So when curiosity got the better of me and I opened Twitter early last Friday morning, they were the first three words I read.
Last Thursday I joined Fianna Fail and was appointed spokesman on Brexit. The reaction on social media was a tsunami of abuse. The satire was at the most cutting edge of Irish wit. Some public figures I greatly admire shook their heads publicly.
A Nigerian friend of mine Whats App’d me from Nairobi — a Wicklow resident she knows had been in touch to see if she might intervene (true story). The questions at the press conference in the Dail were delivered with a certain professional glee, and they were straight to the point — why, given the myriad criticisms you’ve made over the years of Fianna Fail’s role in the crash, are you now joining them?
And there’s the obvious human question — why, when you could’ve stayed safely on the Independent benches, would you invite such a torrent upon yourself ?
I had, after all, a pretty good idea of how some people would react, and it’s a deeply unpleasant thing to experience.
I did what was hands down the worst interview of my six years in politics, on RTE’s Drivetime. I struggled to address a strong criticism of Fianna Fail it was being insisted I had made. I paused (never pause). I said I didn’t know where the quote was from (never do that). I said it just didn’t sound like my language (stop digging), and was told it was from my own website (car crash).
The clip was put online by Drivetime and devoured by an online horde. That sanctimonious ass (me) was getting his just deserts (and, in fairness, I had it coming).
As an aside, I checked the source afterwards and, as I suspected, it wasn’t my language. I had been quoting a third party from a conversation back in 2011, who was reflecting that a culture associated with Fianna Fail during the bubble would invariably now be seen in the incoming Fine Gael/Labour government. But it doesn’t really matter, because the basic charge being levelled was the same one put repeatedly last Thursday — I was joining a political party I had been highly critical of in the past. And that charge is both accurate and fair.
So why do it? Right now, in spite of some genuine progress, Ireland is being driven in broadly the same direction that we see fracturing parts of Western society. This fracturing is giving rise to events like Brexit, American isolationism and the growth of far rightwing politics across Europe.
If we continue down our current path, that fracturing will happen here, and arguably already is. And even if it doesn’t happen, these international events already pose the greatest economic threat Ireland has faced in decades.
Given this, the best way forward, for me, is to work with a strong political team, who I believe want to steer Ireland in a better direction, and who have the ideas, the ambition and the capability to navigate the choppy waters ahead.
Based on the social and economic thinking and policies being put forward, I believe Ireland would be better served by a Fianna Fail-led government than by a Fine Gael-led one.
I have levelled numerous criticisms at Fianna Fail. I stand by those statements, and believe that policy decisions taken from about 10 to 15 years ago contributed significantly to the crash. But I’ve equally criticised Fine Gael and Labour, and believe that policy decisions they made in the last Dail contributed significantly to unnecessary damage caused to so many people during the recession. So no matter what party I might join, it would be one whose policies I have been critical of, and I would, absolutely correctly, be held to account for what I had said about them previously.
But that discomfort pales in comparison to what matters in Ireland today. Nearly a decade on from the crash, Ireland should be in clear blue waters. We should be enjoying a gradual return to a stable and shared prosperity.
Some things are going well, like the ongoing fall in unem- ployment. But look through any Sunday paper and you’ll see a menu of the challenges we’re facing.
Domestically, there’s the obvious, in areas such as housing, healthcare, child poverty and transport. And there’s the less obvious, in areas like education funding, pensions, infrastructure and the erosion of a stable tax base.
Internationally, the two obvious concerns for Ireland are Brexit and an increasingly isolationist America. But there are more subtle challenges too.
If Marine Le Pen is elected, for example, she may seek to pull France out of the euro, which could collapse the currency.
There’s the imminent erosion of much of Ireland’s tax competitiveness. US President Donald Trump has told big business he’ll drop the US corporate tax rate to 15-20pc. British Prime Minister Theresa May is signalling that she may go below 15pc (it was 30pc in 2006). And Northern Ireland is moving its rate to 12.5pc pretty soon.
There’s the attempted relaunch by the European Commission of a policy that would spread out corporation tax receipts around Europe in a way that could wipe billions off our tax base. Any of these issues, on their own, would pose a material risk to our economy. But they’re all happening at the same time.
Why do I think a Fianna Fail government would serve Ireland better in these times?
Firstly, I see a party going back to its social democratic roots, emphasising a stable tax base, support for business, investment in public services and communities, and a shared prosperity.
Secondly, the party I’ve wit- nessed over the past six years is one that’s worked hard to move on. There are those who call this naivety on my part.
Maybe, but my view is based on experience — over the past six years I’ve worked with a fair number of Fianna Fail TDs and senators on three different Oireachtas Committees, and have been consistently impressed.
Thirdly, the scale of the domestic and international challenges and opportunities we face requires some of the big, brave thinking of the Lemass era. And, rightly or wrongly, I believe that potential is there today.
The stark reality we have to address is that the socio-economic model that we’ve been using in the Western world isn’t working for too many people, nor for the planet. The result is less opportunity, and more instability, for too many people. The centre — both the centre left and centre right — needs to reimagine the way forward. We need to figure out, very quickly, how to grow socially and economically in ways that are both inclusive and sustainable. That is the challenge of our times, and the stakes — both the risks and opportunities — cannot be overstated.
What I did last week wasn’t done lightly. I knew some people would react negatively, and would have preferred me to stay Independent. These are my reasons, and I fully respect those who do not agree with them.
Now, it’s on to Brexit — ensuring that the rights of the citizens of Northern Ireland are protected, that our Irish companies are given every possible support, that Ireland’s voice is heard clearly in the upcoming negotiations, and much more.