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S. E. A. Statements

McCann slams collusion on water charges

Statement from Eamonn McCann, Socialist Environmental Alliance Assembly candidate in Foyle

Sunday 4th February 2007

Picture of Eamonn McCann speaking at launch of his campaing to become MLA for Foyle

None of the mainstream parties has a strategy for stopping water charges. Today's (Sunday's) Politics Programme on BBC 1 made that plain.

The programme confirmed that, as far as the election is concerned, only the return of MLAs committed to non-payment offers real hope of change.

The election to the Assembly of non-payment campaigners would shake New Labour and the Treasury like no other development, and could force renegotiation of the water "reform" plan.

The four mainstream parties had the chance to state their intentions this morning. But none offered any strategy, good, bad or indifferent, for forcing New Labour to think again.

From Day One, the new Assembly will have the power to repeal the water charges legislation. All four main parties say they are against charges. So why didn't any of them say this morning that they'll throw the charges out as soon as there's a new Executive in?

It's clear they intend to collude in the imposition of charges. They say they will ask for concessions for the worst-off. But without pressure from a mass, non-payment campaign, they are unlikely to obtain even that.

A handful of MLAs backing non-payment won't transform the situation. But MLAs in the Assembly giving voice and confidence to a non-payment campaign can make a real difference.

Mitchel McLaughlin told Jim Fitzpatrick this morning that Sinn Fein won't support non-payment because they remember the SDLP selling out the rent and rates strike in the 1970s. I'd say to Mitchel that the way to deal with that problem is for Sinn Fein to resolve that they won't follow in the SDLP's footsteps.

This morning's interview with representatives of the four mainstream parties showed that they are all singing from exactly the same hymn-sheet on this issue---and that the only way of offering real resistance to water charges in the election is to vote for candidates who are backing non-payment.





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