CorkAbout
People Before Profit is a left-wing political party that believes in a united socialist Ireland. We believe this can only be achieved through "people power" - it's not enough that we just get a few TDs, MLAs, and councillors elected, we need to be backed by a real movement in the streets. Locally, we have been involved in a number of campaigns, such as promoting the right to housing, including the Docklands housing campaign in 2017 and the Monard housing campaign in 2016, and the movement to repeal the 8th amendment . We have also promoted better public transport for Cork, such as in our proposal for a tram system.
We are eco-socialists - we believe that the economy should be run to benefit everyone, not just enrich a few private individuals. In the words of James Connolly: To the cry of the middle class reformers, “make this or that the property of the government,” we reply, “yes, in proportion as the workers are ready to make the government their property.” We believe that capitalism is pushing us towards ecological catastrophe and that a "green capitalism" is not possible. Simply replacing every petrol or diesel car with an electric car will turn wars for oil into wars for lithium. We do not believe that "all of humanity" is to blame for climate change - the problem is the capitalist system and the wealthy who fly out on their private jets to conferences about climate change.
We are anti-imperialists - we believe that imperialism is a system of domination of the world by a few rival powers, such as America, the EU, China, and Russia, and that Ireland should remain neutral in the many conflicts between them. We oppose the use of Shannon airport to as a stop for American planes on their way to war, the creation of an "EU army", and any possible Irish membership of NATO. We support the right of nations to self-determination and the Palestinian struggle against the colonialist Israeli state.
We are feminists - we believe in full equality for women, including a woman's right to choose, and equality for LGTBQ+ people. We promote separation of church and state and oppose religious control of schools and hospitals that should be public. We support age-appropriate sex education that promotes the importance of consent and the acceptance of different genders and sexualities, as the objective sex ed bill submitted to the Dáil states.
We are anti-racist - we oppose racism in all its forms, including Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and anti-Traveller racism. We believe in integrating migrants and giving voting rights to all residents of Ireland, and welcome everyone fleeing violence and persecution. We believe Direct Provision is a cruel and inhumane system and must be abolished and replaced with a system that respects the rights of all refugees. We believe everyone has the right to practice their religion. We totally oppose fascists, on the streets if necessary.
We believe in people power - that the only way for real change to happen is grassroots working class organising across the country to oppose the big capitalist parties - like Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in the south and the likes of Sinn Féin and the DUP in the north where sectarianism has been entrenched at the top.
The party's policies can be read about in more detail on the main site here.