New Beginning to test water for political party

The New Beginning group is laying the foundations to become a fully-fledged political party after its co-founder last night declared: “A truly national political movement born free from failed politics can deliver real change.”

The organisation sprang to national prominence due to its support for people in mortgage distress.

Last night, co-founder and barrister, Vincent P Martin, closed the MacGill Summer School in Glenties by calling for a new political movement.

“We no longer look upon our leaders on both sides of the House with disdain but with indifference — we have no faith in them, we do not believe in them,” he said.

“The reality is that the Government cannot rid itself of the debilitating perception that they are the new insiders cut from the same body politic cloth and culture which ruined our country,” Mr Martin added.

New Beginning is planning to hold a number of town hall-style meetings around the country, ideally before Christmas, to gauge the level of support for a new political movement.

One possibility is that it would allow dual membership, opening it up to members of existing political parties.

Before giving his speech, Mr Martin said he wanted a new movement to “bring Irish people together like never before”.

He said he did not want to “dictate the agenda” but was keen to see the level of appetite for a new movement in the face of what he termed the “cosy consensus” that currently in Irish politics.

“If it is to go the full distance, the first couple of steps have to be taken very carefully,” he said, adding that he did not want to “create a false dawn or false hope”.

It is thought unlikely that if a political party were to register under the New Beginning name, it would run candidates in next year’s local and European elections. But it is understood the outcome will be based on feedback taken through meetings with the public.

In his speech last night, Mr Martin said austerity was now “self-destroying”. “Unless we take effective action, soon close to one million citizens will be trapped and imprisoned in household debt,” he told the last session of the 2013 MacGill Summer School.

“In order to recover as a nation, we need a renewal, a sense of real hope. Without hope our future becomes hopeless and the despair which is already shattering families will spiral into even greater pain and suffering.

“Will we accept the basic right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland? Will we resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation? Will we cherish all of our children equally?”

Demanding a new vision for the country he said: “The time has come for this generation to stand up and fight for what is right. Finding out what caused the catastrophic economic collapse is important but the more urgent priority is to get Ireland working again.

“Without the essential trigger of hope, Ireland will not recover. On our own we are nothing but together we are capable of greatness,” he said.

Source:

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/new-beginning-to-test-water-for-political-party-238728.html