A FORMER Mayor of Limerick has lashed out at the newly formed National Independent Party, claiming that rather than offering a “radical alternative”, they are “only assisting the Government’s attempt to divide and rule”.
Joe Harrington of the Anti Austerity Alliance (AAA) has criticised the Limerick-based National Independent Party (NIP) claiming they are trying to play the race card in order to win votes.
Last week NIP made national headlines when they stated that the Government should limit immigration. However, the AAA is adamant that “emigration, not immigration is our problem”.
Mr Harrington, who is the AAA local election candidate in West Limerick, is also critical of the fact the National Independent Party (NIP) have used an image of Jim Larkin in a campaign poster.
“Let us remember Larkin was himself an immigrant to Ireland, just like James Connolly, and both of them together fought for the unity of working class people in the fight against the bosses. That is what the Anti Austerity Alliance seeks to continue today,” declared the former socialist Mayor.
AAA candidate for Limerick City West, John Loftus, who himself moved from Scotland to work in Ireland commented, “This is bottom of the barrel stuff, an attempt to scapegoat immigrants for the unemployment crisis. All blaming immigrants does is divide ordinary people and let the bankers, politicians and big business off the hook.”
In response, founder and chairperson of the National Independent Party, Martin Critten from Kildimo, commented, “We are mindful of the issues surrounding all matters concerning our overall economic recovery and will address all issues without apology, nor simply sweep them under the carpet. Everything we remark on is central to the economic decisions made by this Government, and are worthy of debate in any forum.”
“Our manifesto illustrates how we intend rebuilding a shattered economy, dealing with tax inequalities, mortgage debt, and, of course, the horrendous lack of Government accountability, with our new Citizen’s Charter.
“Immigration, emigration and migration are indeed a part of the current national discussion and to focus on the purely negative as AAA have managed, appears misinformed. Indeed, economic migration is part of a much wider debate currently going on at the heart of Europe. What we don’t want, once more, is to be on the back heel once again as a country when it comes to policy in Europe,” said Mr Critten.
