Why we are leaving the Campaign Against Home and Water Taxes: statement by Workers Solidarity Movement

I’m not a supporter of the WSM, however I often agree with their analysis and have some friends and acquaintances who are WSM members.  I thought their statement is a good summing up of some of the key problems of the CAHWT, so I’m reprinting it in full here.

WSM Statement

The Workers Solidarity Movement has decided to withdraw from the Campaign Against Home and Water Taxes.  Please see statement below.  We have made a donation of €1,000 towards paying off the debts of CAHWT.

1.    It is now clear that the boycott of the property tax has collapsed and with it, any chance of defeating it in the coming period. The tactic of boycott was enough to defeat the household tax, but with draconian powers handed over to revenue to collect the property tax, much more was required.

2.    The tactics pursued by the Campaign against Home and Water Taxes (CAHWT), to build a boycott, mobilise to protest on the streets and to argue for a campaign of industrial action by workers implementing the tax, was the only approach that had any chance of success.   But for that to happen, mass participation was necessary.

3.    The principal reason that the campaign was not successful was that

Marian Price release

Because I’ve been holidaying in the West Country and away from TV and the papers, I’ve only just heard that Marian Price was released a week ago.  Mick Healy texted me that he was at a function in Dublin tonight for her.

Although the general coverage of the release – I’ve just been checking media – has centred on human rights, her health etc, the imprisonment was for political reasons and her release is a political victory for the unbroken and the unbought.

Now the energy that built up around Marian’s case needs to be focussed on Martin Corey, Stephen Murney and the other prisoners.

Death of Ruairi O Bradaigh

Mick Healy has just informed me of the death of Ruairi O Bradaigh.  I hope to get to the funeral but, in any case, I’ll be running a tribute to him as soon as I can.

In the meantime, there is an interview I did with Ruairi back in 1997, here.

The funeral is at midday Saturday in Roscommon.

 

Resuming transmission

I have been having a break recently, chilling out in the West Country.  I’ve seen my current favourite musician, Seth Lakeman, playing at the Bath Music Festival and then I went down to Newquay to see him play at Lusty Glaze beach the following night (video below shows audience starting to assemble on the beach).

Two memorable gigs, the Bath one an indoor gig at the Forum with a packed house of about 1300, the Lusty Glaze beach performance about 5-600 of us in this sandy cove on the outskirts of Newquay, dancing away as the sun went down.  Interesting audience at Lusty; next to me – I was right up front – was an old dear well into her 70s, dancing away with her walking stick.

Seth and his band playing ‘Setting of the Sun’, as the sun went down in the sea behind us at Lusty Glaze – spine-tingling.

Lusty Glaze is basically a little sandy cove, with cliffs on three sides, forming a sort of natural amphitheatre.  You go down over 130 steps to the little cove.  If you’re ever in Cornwall, catch the Sundowner sessions at Lusty.

Although I will be trying to get a few pieces up over the next couple of weeks, it may be early July before full transmission on the blog is resumed.

Mick’s filmed interview with Frank Keane is probably the next substantial thing we’ll get up.