The Champs Voice

Backstop Solution

3/6/2019

An exciting new deal has been proposed by the Irish Government to help solve the backstop crisis which has prolonged Brexit negotiations.

Fine Gael have offered to keep six counties in the UK on a rotational basis, allowing all counties an opportunity to experience British rule as well as paying back the banking debt to the EU, so every county can get the best of both worlds.

It hasn't been determined how long each block of counties should be in the UK for but the general consensus is that it's unethical to continue the 100 year cycle currently in place.

The first six counties set to replace the North are Mayo, Galway, Clare, Limerick, Kerry, and Cork.

A Fianna Fail spokesman from the rebel county said he can't wait to take his seat in Westminster as it will give the party a chance to do what it does best, support other governments and legitimise international expenses.

The DUP said they will back the agreement if Sinn Fein admit Cú Chulainn was an Orangeman, the 1916 leaders were terrorists, and the war of independence was fought by turncoats who betrayed the Queen.

The English Government now under the influence of the Brexit party have said they will accept the offer provided Ireland pays an annual tax to the crown of half of her corn, half her milk, and half her new born children (excluding gingers).

The SNP said that while they don't support the deal in principle they are willing to back it because independence means different things to different people.

(Cartoon by Peter Schrank)

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Dublins EU Hopefuls

23/5/2019

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The final constituency is Dublin, the county with all the money, all the jobs, and all the benefits of the bail out. There's an argument to be made that all the MEP seats should be held in the capital and the country folk could come to the city for the day to vote. They'd have a great time shopping and using WiFi and they'd be putting a bit of money back into the economy that supports them all year round.

Mark Mullan declares on his website that he wants to break the culture of MEP`s spending five years in Brussels without anyone knowing what they're actually doing. Ironically not many people know what Mark's been up to for the last 25 years but that's no fault of his own as he's spent that time working on various humanitarian projects. Mark Mullan has an impressive CV and he also has the kind of principles you'd expect from a politician representing you in Europe. On paper he's one of the strongest candidates in the race and his election prospects are all down to how well his campaign goes.

Any left leaning individual should offer their full support to Lynn Boylan. Based on her track record in Europe she's the ideal candidate to represent Dublin. Lynn was heavily involved with the Repeal the 8th campaign, supports Catalonia and Palestine, and has been extremely critical of the Irish government watering down our neutrality through its support for PESCO. As a result of her work on the Right2Water report, Lynn has travelled to Greece, Italy, London and Catalonia to speak on the topic of the human right to water and the EU‘s privatisation agenda.

Gillian Brien & Rita Harrold are both on the campaign for Solidarity/People Before Profit which would make you wonder if the party are more interested in winning seats or raising candidate profiles. In a heavily contested constituency the liberal vote is already divided out amongst several left wing candidates and this kind of campaigning suggests that either Solidarity/PbP are incredibly ambitious or that they're putting party ahead of politics. That said both candidates are equally admirable, Rita is well known for being a Repeal activist and Gillian has over 18 years experience working within the Human Rights field, dealing with LGBT+ Young People, Travellers, Asylum & Refugees issues. She has also worked in the Youth and Community, Drugs and Homeless Sector.

Alice Mary Higgins is a daughter of Michael D Higgins and has been endorsed by Hotpress magazine as a candidate who understands the importance of culture, theatre, literature, music and art. Alice has also been a vocal critic of the "free market" politics of Fine Gael and supports the RaiseTheRoof movement.

Gary Gannon is a true blue and has been campaigning for his own emoji. Probably the strongest candidate for the social democrats this could be the kind of victory for them that set the wheels in motion for establishing a stable left wing party in Ireland. However there's a lot of work to do and more doors need to be knocked on before the SD become a household favourite.

Clare Daly is an iconic figure in Irish politics who spends her time in the Dail fighting for a secular state, one that offers everyone equal opportunity. Best known for the Shannon protest and her involvement in the Repeal campaign she already has a particular fanbase. Clare has used this election to fight for the more centre and left of centre vote that might just help get her elected MEP.

Eílis Ryan is a councillor for The Worker’s Party and a bit of a hidden gem. Eílis has worked for a range of human rights and community development organisations in Ireland, Asia and Latin America. However she remains another candidate who needs to raise her profile before gathering enough votes to win Europe and I wish her the best of luck for the future.

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Ireland South

22/5/2019

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The South used to be a breeding ground for discontent, a safe house for Irish Culture, and the birthplace of political leaders that fought for equality, humanity, and justice. Now the South does what it's told, it's children are born to immigrate, and it's become a plantation of Dublin with little mind of its own.

However there are some candidates who say "No" to Dublin rulling the South. None more so than Diarmuid O’Flynn. This man would be a national hero if he lived in Iceland, one of the few people to speak out in opposition to the banking bail out and he actively organised protest against it. He also has plenty of political experience acting as parliamentary assistant for MEP Luke Ming Flanagan's. Diarmuid has also stood before the Oireachtas Finance Committee looking to establish a cross party committee to campaign against the bank debt taken on by Irish State following the ECB-IMF bailout. This fight isn't over in the eyes of those still suffering from austerity and if you want to continue looking for a better deal Diarmuid O'Flynn is the right candidate to support.

Mick Wallace could be described as an anti imperialist and it will be interesting to see how he fairs with the suits in Europe if he's elected. Still shrouded in the controversy of having an outstanding tax bill from the Celtic tiger years, he's more secretive about his dealings with the revenue than Donald Trump. However he's proven his worth in the Dail speaking up for whistleblowers, condemning military flights from Shannon, and being a strong critic of NAMA. Mick Wallace is a fighter and if he was born in the 19th century he'd be leading the pikemen of the East in a stand against the bureaucrats of the pale.

'Fight the Pipe' revolutionary Liam Minehan wants to decentralise Dublin and empower the country with the sense of fairness that's missing from the domestic arena. A pinup farmer from Tipperary he's likely to take a scalp off of the FG vote, and if he can get the IFA vote he could very well be first past the post.

Liadh Ní Riadh could have been president if she had advanced notice of being nominated as the SF candidate. A poorly run campaign resulted in a distant second place. Her love of the Irish language, her experience, and her strong connection with rural Ireland should see her having a more prosperous MEP election.

Grace O’Sullivan is a sitting senator for the green party. I hope all of Waterford get behind her because she has a great track record of fighting for and protecting the environment. In 1985 Grace joined the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, to prevent nuclear tests in the Pacific. She speaks fluent Dutch and Spanish, basically a ready made MEP waiting for your vote.

Adrienne Wallace represents Solidarity/People Before Profit and has also adopted a two front strategy by running for local council as well. Based on the overwhelming support for repeal in the South she could swing a vote but she has a lot of work to do to swing the masses. A young voice with a fresh attitude, at 28 she is one of the youngest political candidates in Ireland and it's easy to see her representing a disenfranchised generation who feel locked out of the housing market, the job market, and the political sphere.

Breda Gardner is an interesting candidate, based on her manifesto she's pro culchie and wants to put housing, health and the environment back on the agenda. She also prefers books to bombs and thinks 5G is one g too many.

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