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Statements by Our Candidates in the 2005 Elections

Eamonn McCann, SEA candidate for Foyle and for Waterside Rural

Derry capital city of injustice

Thursday, April 21st 2005

Michael Gallagher's analysis in the Journal (April 15th) of Derry's dire situation exposes the propaganda of the major parties. 

Mr. Gallagher refers to the habit of "talking up" the city. We've heard it from every party which has supplied a mayor in the past decade.  Derry is booming, Derry is buzzing, Derry's the happening place.

Derry is  booming, alright---for the few.  But Michael Gallagher has confirmed what the trade unions, the SEA and others have been saying---that huge numbers are being left behind. This is the capital city of economic injustice.

But instead of addressing this issue, we have main Nationalist and Unionist parties gutting one another about who'll give the best representation to "our side" vis-a-vis "the other side."

Michael Gallagher has highlighted  the desperate problems of child poverty in Shantallow, Creggan and Brandywell. But no remedy for these problems can be found in trying to advance one community in comparison with the other.

It should be noted that the statistics also show that Victoria and Caw (Newbuildings, Nelson Drive) are catching up fast in the poverty stakes.

The main causes of child poverty are inadequate benefits, low wages and poor public services.

Privatisation and contracting out cuts jobs and drives wages down. And both destroy our public services. Lack of publicly-funded child care means that lone parents in particular are excluded from jobs. Council workers' pay is being driven down, through cut-backs supported by all the main parties.

These causes of poverty can't be dealt with by pushing one community's interests forward. Increasing benefit levels and defending wage rates can't be achieved in one community only.

It would be wrong to say that the main parties are responsible for the fact that Derry is on the brink of becoming an economic basket-case. But it would be right to say that they have no policies for dealing with the situation.

Behind the scenes they all operate as local managers of capitalism. And they don't even do that very effectively, being focused 24/7 not on any grand plan but on wrong-footing their rivals within their particular community.

What Michael Gallagher's report showed most of all is the need for a radical shift in political priorities. Only the SEA can provide that.  





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