The James Connolly Forum will hold a public meeting on Tuesday 21st March at 8 pm in Richardson’s, Eyre Sq. Galway under the heading: BREXIT – THE LEFT VIEW: The Implications & Opportunities for Ireland.
Unlike Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s Brexit road shows the Connolly Forum event will take a critical view of the EU. It will, however, present a realistic assessment from a Left perspective of how the Irish state should deal with the impending departure of Ireland’s biggest trading partner from the EU.
During the Brexit referendum the media focussed primarily on the UKIP and Tory Eurosceptic campaigns suggesting that the pro-Brexit camp was entirely xenophobic. The British Left Exit campaign was most definitely not, attracting as it did organisations such as the Indian Workers Association (GB ), the Bangladeshi Workers Council of Britain and a number of trade unions. The Left Brexit campaign concentrated on issues of popular sovereignty and democracy, as well as workers’ right and opposition to the neo-liberal policies of the EU.
The first speaker of the evening will be Rob Griffith from Britain was chairperson of the pro-Brexit left-wing campaign, LEXIT, which brought together a wide range of left-wing groupings and trade unions*.
He will not just deal with the Brexit campaign, but examine the implications for the British people and their economy. Rob is a native of Cardiff and a Welsh speaker. He began his political career as a Parliamentary Research Officer for Plaid Cymru, the Welsh National Party, in the 1970s and later lectured in economics and history. Today he is the leader of the Communist Party of Britain.
The second speaker, Eoin Ó Murchú, will focus on the implications and the opportunities that stem from Brexit for Ireland, North and South. For more than 15 years Eoin was the political correspondent of Raidió na Gaeltachta and is now a regular contributor to Tonight with Vincent Browne as well as Tuarisc.ie. This event promises to be both thought provoking as well as informative. An added bonus is that both Rob and Eoin are noted orators.
In charge of the proceedings will be the well-known former independent county councillor and RnaG broadcaster Seosamh Ó Cuaig from Cill Chiaráin in Conamara.
* LeExit sponsors: Scottish Left Leave; Indian Workers Association (GB );Bangladeshi Workers Council of Britain; Communist Party of Britain; Counterfire; Socialist Workers Party. Trade Unions: National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers; Aslef; The bakers' union, BFAWU.
