Madam, – Whilst recognising and applauding the achievements of the Irish trade union movement in championing workers’ rights, I think it is absolutely fitting and just that the forthcoming Government Bill clamping down on corporate funding of political parties will also prohibit donations to them from trade unions (Home News, July 26th).
The bizarre and utterly indefensible prevarication of the Labour Party leadership in its public response to the Croke Park Deal demonstrated that the party is dangerously beholden to the whims and political stances of the trade union movement.
The Labour Party has repeatedly condemned, in the strongest terms it could conjure up, the past shady financial dealings of Fianna Fáil. It has spoken out most forcefully over the past decade against the “cute hoor” ethos in Irish politics.
Yet, what is more ethically sustainable about a trade union making a donation to a party it perceives is likely to implement its wishes or agreed policy objectives . . . and a business handing over a similar amount of cash, or making an equally large cheque payable, to an ideologically different party for the same reason?
Because, let’s face it, nobody makes a donation to a political party for the good of his or her health or spiritual wellbeing!
Recently, we had the spectacle of Fine Gael extending its proverbial biscuit tin to elicit funds for its party political war chest from big business. Now we have Labour declaring it will oppose the forthcoming Bill on corporate donations if the trade union movement is prevented from donating to political parties.
Is it any wonder that for many people the very word politics has become synonymous with terms like duplicity, hypocrisy, and crookedness?
Fair is fair. What’s sauce for a right-wing or cute-hoorish goose . . . must also be sauce for a socialist gander! – Yours,etc,