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IT’S ALMOST TWO months since Peadar Tóibín quit Sinn Féin and set out to establish his own political party.
He’s managed to convince nine elected councillors to join him, with some leaving established parties such as Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin to do so.
Tóibin has held 11 public meetings, with 20 more to go, and says he has a 1,400-strong membership signed up.
In an interview with TheJournal.ie he says he is in talks with six Oireachtas members about joining, although he won’t name names.
He hasn’t settled on a name yet, but the Meath TD said the party’s registration is currently being processed both north and south of the border.
The wheels for the significant move were set in motion last year when Tóibín was suspended from Sinn Féin for six months because he voted against the abortion legislation in the Dáil. He later decided to leave the party.
After being with the party for 21 years, he said he did so “with a heavy heart” but no sooner had he sent his resignation letter to Mary Lou McDonald, he was outside Leinster House telling reporters of his plans to travel around the country to find people with similar views to his own.
It’s no secret that McDonald and Tóibín had a fractured relationship in the run up the referendum. He was constantly airing his pro-life opinion, while the party was on an entirely different track, with the Ard Fheis voting in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment from the Constitution.
It didn’t help matters when Tóibín went head-to-head with Health Minister Simon Harris on RTE’s Prime Time debate. Not quite the image that Sinn Féin HQ wanted to put forward.
Last year, the party voted to change its stance on the issue of abortion.
Sinn Féin’s policy before the 2018 Ard Fheis had been in favour of abortion in cases of risk or in grave danger to the mother and in cases of rape or incest as well as in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities.
The party voted to expand its position allowing for abortion on request through a GP-led service for a limited gestational period.
Today, many of Tóibín’s old colleagues are still not talking to him, he said.
I have a lot of regard for many elected reps north and south. There is a number of them in there that feel the same way I do around these topics, some may come with us, some may not. I wish them luck in their work.
Some individuals have been warm and friendly, and that is wonderful, there are some individuals who are hurt, in a big way, who are angry and who are not talking to me at all, and that is understandable too. This is the way these things happen. I felt I had no option but to leave the party.
“I dearly wanted to see if we could make the changes on this issue [abortion] and also other issues within the organisation. Nobody can say I didn’t try my damnedest but unfortunately I felt I was left with no option but to leave,” said Tóibín.
Sinn Féin average industrial wage salary
Before Christmas, Sinn Féin’s policy on its politicians taking the average industrial wage hit the headlines when the party leader told Newstalk that she takes home less than the average industrial wage, at just €24,000 after tax.
Her comments came after a number of Sinn Féin’s elected representatives had been found to be taking home significantly more than the average industrial wage they promised to take.
When asked about the issue, Tóibín said Sinn Féin is “getting tripped up left, right and centre” over the salary policy.
“To be fair to Sinn Féin, I think their objectives in terms of salaries were done with the best reasons, but I think they are getting tripped up left, right and centre as a result of that,” he said.
Tóibin finds it interesting that TDs who decided to take the salary of the average industrial wage in order for them to understand the perspective of their constituents are being “hammered” by other TDs who are on the full wage “just because there might be a lack of uniformity in how that was applied”.
Fine Gael TDs hate it
“It is a big threat to TDs from the other parties – they hate to see TDs from other parties take the average industrial wage, because they get stopped in the street and asked why aren’t you doing it. I have been told by Fine Gael TDs that they hated the fact that we used to take the average industrial wage, it really used to annoy them.
“I think that is part of the reason that policy has been undermined in the public eye. But the public also want to make sure their TDs are telling them the truth and if they are saying they on the average industrial wage that they are on the average industrial wage,” he said.
What about his salary in his new party?
My own decision on this in the future is still to be decided. I am still paying people out of my own wage and I won’t be taking the full wage in the future, but I have to work out all the elements of what staff I will need in the future as well.
‘Two fingers’ to the grassroots
The day he resigned, while being reserved about criticising his former party, he hit out against Micheáł Martin and those at the helm of Fianna Fáil for giving the “two fingers” to their grassroot supporters.
He said he had received a lot of phone calls from members of Fianna Fáil who are “unhappy” with the party’s direction in terms of the abortion issue. So, it is no surprise that Tóibín states many Fianna Fáilers are turning up at his meetings.
“We have nine elected reps declared for us, which puts us at about the same as the SocDems were on the go three years ago… we’ll probably be passing out the Green Party fairly shortly,” he said, adding that he is in talks with a further 30 elected reps.
“I would say four are very close to making a decision,” he said, adding:
People are coming to us from Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil and SDLP backgrounds… though there are people coming from other political parties too, which is interesting.
At a recent meeting, he claims a Fianna Fáil member said that while he wouldn’t join his party, he believed many of its members will find a happy home with Tóibín.
He criticises political parties, such as his former party and Fianna Fáil (which once approached Tóibín to join) for shifting power from the grassroots to centralised headquarters.
There is a massive shift towards the HQ. The fact that the Fianna Fáil leadership would completely disregard the membership – the membership voted… to maintain the Eighth [Amendment] and straight after that Billy Kelleher said, ‘Thanks for that but the parliamentary party will decide policy.’ For that to happen is just incredible.
His new party’s core objective will be to remove that centralised power from the upper echelons, which he believes does damage and isolates voters.
No matter what side of these kind of debates you are on, the fact that a third of the population is without political party representation currently is a negative for the democratic process in the country.
If you don’t allow those voices to be heard, then those voices will become frustrated, marginalised and will vote for people on the margins. It is important that people are able to have their voices heard.
Abortion
Tóibín claims his party will not be a one-issue one, just pinning its mandate on a pro-life agenda. However, he does state that his party will seek to reverse the abortion legislation which was enacted at the end of last year.
Like any other, the Meath TD said his party will have a “raft” of other policies.
“Every other party will have a policy on abortion and so will we… Obviously we will have a radically different view than others, but anyone that tries to pigeonhole us as a one issue party would be disingenuous because we are a literally a mirror image of the other parties except we are on the other side of that debate.”
“In the future we would seek to have those amendments made to the legislation,” he said, adding that the Oireachtas Committee on abortion heard that socioeconomic reasons were the majority causes of abortions.
“Our view is let us as a country address those socioeconomic reasons so that no one is forced into making that decision. I do think the decisions made by this government under Harris and Varadkar leave so many women feeling that they don’t have a choice in terms of the economic situation they are in.
“We should be trying to find common ground between pro-life and pro-choice people. Let us tackle the socioeconomic reasons together,” he said.
Peadar Tóibín / TwitterOne or two people in Donegal not happy with the political establishment tonight....... #breakthegroupthink #NewAllIrelandMovement pic.twitter.com/k5bUeSufOB
— Peadar Tóibín TD (@Toibin1) January 8, 2019
Who will join him?
So, does he see pro-lifers left in the cold by their respective political parties joining him?
The majority of those that want to join us will have a right to life view. There are people who are coming to our meetings that voted yes, but who feel the Bill that Harris and Varadkar passed was an extreme Bill and while they would have sought abortion to be available for issues of rape, incest and life limiting conditions. I think those people should have a place within our organisation and there will be freedom of conscience on the issue.
He added that he is “not seeking to dilute our objectives – we believe every human being should be protected by the State”.
However, Tóibín states that he doesn’t believe his party will run into the same problems as Sinn Féin where he explains “there were a lot of people with a pro-life view and then there was the flip of policies in completely the other direction in a short period of time… I think most people come on board will be looking to reverse the legislation as it stands”.
Though the abortion issue is not something Tóibín wants heralded as his new party’s main attraction point, he acknowledges that many politicians are not feeling comfortable in the parties they are in due to the stance their parties took during the abortion referendum.
Politicians in the wrong party
“There are a lot of people in the wrong political party at the moment. There is a realignment happening in politics. A lot of people through bonds and friendship and through tradition and history, which are important of course, feel they are tied into their own political organisations currently.
“My instinct would be if you are gathering votes and working for a political organisation that is doing disharm or going in a different direction from you, you really need to be making the decision as to whether you are in the wrong political organisation for you and if so, I would suggest people make that decision in the new year to come with us.”
The local elections in May are the key focus. Tóibín hopes to have 20 elected councillors running, helping to build momentum for challenging for seats in the Dáil and Stormont.
Despite Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil agreeing not to call an election until 2020, there is always a possibility.
How many seats would Tóibín hope to take in the next general election? He’s keeping his cards close to his chest on that one.
I am always very cautious about making predictions because they can bite you. I would like to see that we have a functional team in Leinster House after the next general election which allows us to convey our objectives with regards Irish unity, economic and social justice, and that means a number of TDs and senators and I think that is achievable.
“I am not going to put a number on it, that is tempting fate, but I have no doubt in my mind, this is not a normal time in Irish politics… There is a massive anger that has bubbled up for example with the evictions in Roscommon. I don’t think the establishment in Leinster House realise just how angry people are.”
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Be same craic as Renua. Set up a side project for a few years to appeal to an angry little conservative pocket. No one will care. It will fissile out.
@tadhgkelleher: Peadar aint an angry little Conservative though. He appears to have a greater vision that will appeal across the board unlike Renua which was very much a right leaning Conservative group.
@tadhgkelleher: so we should just give up and accept everything your corrupt f Gael throw at us?
@LD: I think PT will do well.. While not agreeing with his politics he is a man of great principle…
It’s Gas , Peadar is wall to wall since he left SF ,
The bitter bias of the establishment media is laid bare for all to see ,
When he was in SF the only stories he got mentioned in were negative SF ones..
@Midland Celt: in fairness has there ever been a positive SF story for the press to run? Ever? Nope.
All the rules are stacked against a new party….Hard to raise money strict rules on donations….Established parties get millions from the tax payer depending on vote they got in last election….He will benefit from voters seeing SF as now having become a hard left party…
@iComment: Everyone knows SF are not a hard left party. They were the only party calling for USC to be paid by all workers at the last election. FFG bought votes by promising to remove swathes of workers from the USC. SF also sought to increase the high rate tax threshold while introducing a third rate of tax on any earnings over 125k. FFG called this fantasy economics but are now advocating the same proposal in the future. FFG are like leaves in the wind following SF policies. Doesn’t sound hard left to any normal person, does it.
@iComment: sure the clan of FF/FG change direction with the wind and rob us blind while doing so.
@Cal Mooney: yes the answer is increase taxes. Disincentive work is the SF policy.
@Rory: That makes FFG tax policies even harder left then. They are so hard left they even bailout banks to the tune of 64 billion euro, all funded by Irish tax payers. FFG economic policies are just ludicrous and that is why the country had to go with a begging bowl to the IMF. Give me SF economic policies any day over FFG.
@Cal Mooney: the same USC charge SF wanted abolished !! And even ran an election campaign based on its removal ??
Who’d have thought SF flip flopped on issues , remember when their leaders wanted to pay the water charges until they seen 100k ppl march against them . Gas how they changed their tune with them
SF don’t know how to make a decision, until they get the populist opinion on it ;)
More choice welcome. More votes taken from FFG welcome. Fear in the air ….
@Willy Mc Caul: I’d say SF have more to fear than FF or FG. A sizable proportion of people who vote SF are pro life and may well shift to Peadar.
@Paddy J: You obviously didn’t see the results of the SF Ard Fheis on the abortion motion. Over 80 percent of SF members voted repeal. On the other hand over 50 percent of FF members voted to retain it. FF are going to haemorage voters to Peadars new party. He will pick up anti repeal votes from FG also based on how the current party leadership ignored the popular member vote on its leader after Enda Kenny stood down. Funny how grassroots members of parties don’t like having their wished ignored.
@Paddy J: Was it not FF , FFG whom voted against… You seem to wish truth away . We shall see as the FFG dwindling majority further decreases :-)
@Cal Mooney: and the majority of SF supporters did not support their own candidate in Presidential election.
@Willy Mc Caul: time will tell Willy. We’ll know for sure by May. Peadar has the potential to pull from all parties and none. Abortion is such a divisive issue that it alone may cause voters to shift allegiance.
@Paddy J: I doubt it. The referendum passed by a 2/3rds majority. It’s now law and will quickly become yesterday’s news. Couple that with the fact that there won’t be a GE until 2020 at the earliest means abortion won’t be an issue.
@An bhearna: Election guaranteed 2019 .. Mehole has done untold damage and will be itching to find right time. Leo guaranteed to give that time with another calamity. We shall see who’s magic ball has most truth …
@An bhearna:
Dream on, yesterdays news huh.
Once Adams stepped down as leader of SF a split was always a distinct possibility. SF are moving slowly away from the one thing that held them all together, their fervent nationalism, and trying to fill the voting void left by the treachery of the Labour part.
@Brian McDonnell: I would suggest that Peadars actions will have a much bigger impact on FF grass roots than SF. We will have to wait and see on that one. The FF split was inevitable, I just didn’t see it coming the way it’s happening.
Very interesting report. It is hard to see Peadar Tóibín’s party being a significant force in the long term, but he deserves great credit for his courage and being true to his principles. The damage being done to Sinn Féin is entirely of its own making. It has made it clear that it is a cold house for its “pro-life” members. Peadar Tóibín, Carol Nolan and a number of local representatives in the North have left the party. It is inevitable that others will do so as well. FG and FF at least had the “smarts” to accommodate “pro-life” TD’s in their parliamentary parties. In FG’s case, residual “pro-life” sentiment was consumed by the politics of careerism and consensus. The FF leadership pragmatically (or cynically) observed which way the wind was blowing and acted accordingly. “Pro-life” politicians have in the main been bullied into toeing the party line. Either way, it would probably be best if abortion was seen as a matter of conscience and not considered to be a party political issue as is the case in most Western European countries.
@Joe Nolan: If you read the article, it looks like he is doing more damage to FF than SF. FF members voted against the abortion proposal, but leadership chose to ignore it’s own members. Also, FF members support working towards a United Ireland but it’s leadership is against it. If I was a FF TD right now, I would be worried.
@Cal Mooney:
That remains to be seen. At this stage, it is Sinn Féin TD’s and councillors who have left the party. This has not been the case with FF to date. Rural Sinn Féin TD’s, MP’s, assembly members and councillors in closely tested constituencies will be particularly vulnerable in forthcoming elections, e.g. Fermanagh South Tyrone, South Down, Donegal, Cavan-Monaghan. You are correct in saying that there is currently considerable potential for a serious split with FF over abortion, but can you really see Eamonn Ó Cuiv abandoning the party created by his grandfather?
@Joe Nolan: very well said Joe. As Peadar has pointed out on several occasions 33% of the voting public have no representation when it comes to their pro life position. That is a sizable chunk of people to pitch to.
@Joe Nolan: FF councillors have joined up with his party actually.
@ObsidianShine: And an SDLP councillor
He’s far better off without them shower, nice fella, hope he does ok for himself.
Well Peadar, people tend to get slightly disappointed when you allow your principles to be hijacked by ultra-conservative Catholics and you take an anti-women stance.
@Orla Smith: the funny thing is there are many women could be seen as anti-women then. At least 50% of the anti abortion supporters are women, interesting many are young women and certainly not conservative Catholics.
@Paddy J: Complete lies. The youth demographic was the highest voting yes with 87% of 18-24 year olds while 70% of women compared to 65% of men voted Yes.
The photo in the article is a good representation of the anti-choice brigade, a few token women positioned front and centre to hide an ocean of elderly men behind.
@Rochelle: interesting Rochelle. I presume you wouldn’t hold these anti-women women in high esteem.
@Orla Smith: Orla trust women
@Paddy J: 50% are women?
Sorry but stats don’t support that.
Women are tokens to the pro life zealots, they benefit the cause, nothing more
@Orla Smith:
At least Peadar has principles unlike the others such as Harris, Varadkar,Coveney and Martin who all changed their stances on abortion to pander to the liberal agenda of modern Ireland despite your so called ultra conservative Catholics. Peadar will gather a lot of votes from people on both sides of the abortion debate as he is clearly a man of honour, something this country is sadly lacking at present.
How is the new party’s registration being processed if he has no name? Processed in his head…
@SF Ankle Tapper: as an elected representative, he only needs 100 members. Without a TD u need 300 members.
@Martin Critten: Yes but how do you register a party with no name?
SF scored a massive own goal here and will pay a big big price for it. Regardless of how the new party does and whether Toibin and Nolan get elected they have certainly cost SF two seats because SF won’t land them. It was so avoidable. SF could have maintained its pro-abortion policy but allowed conscientious objection like every other party did.. To not allow CO on abortion has eroded its Catholic support base and there is an opportunity for other parties to pick up this support.
anything that has a negative impact on SF can only be to the good.
It’s time to get fresh parties out there, such as The National Party and Peadar Toibin’s new party. The cosy establishment parties have become too complacent.
@Alan Fahy: A Renua 2.0 with backward social policies is anything but “fresh”
Have you a high sense of your own self importance? Have a super awesome opinion that everybody else is ignoring? Feel like everyone else should feel the same way about things that you do? Set up your own political party!!
@Mark Deegan: Hardly what he was elected to do – is he still being paid, or is this an internship with the [insert name here] party?
@Mark Deegan: “super awesome” love it, watching too much american tv
“centralised power” rather ironic considering thats precisely what happens in Provisional SF, Army Council calls all the shots, appoints those in command, and when there is an election ensures only a single candidate goes forward
@Stephen Kearon: So will you jump from FF to Peadars new party then, seeing as you are so critical on its approach to boycotting goods from the Israeli illegally occupied territories in Palestine.
@Stephen Kearon: LMFAO!…That`s rich coming from you, your beloved FF ignored the vote of their members and made the opposite decision – who`s calling the shots where?
As usual, your article is factually incorrect. “Sinn Féin’s policy before the 2018 Ard Fheis had been in favour of abortion in cases of risk or in grave danger to the mother and in cases of rape or incest as well as in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities. The party voted to expand its position allowing for abortion on request through a GP-led service for a limited gestational period.”
The party voted to expand its position AFTER the referendum. The members voted against abortion on demand at their Ard Fheis in 2017 and therefore, SF should’ve held another Ard Fheis before the referendum but didn’t. That’s why SF is losing so many of the members and voters.
I bear no animosity towards Peadar. I just think he is on a hiding to nothing. All he will get behind him are the malcontents who have nothing positive to contribute. Most of them will be from the pro life lobby who refuse to accept the clear will of the Irish people. Peadar is better than that.
I applaud anyone who tries to break the mould of civil war politics in this country but this new party will fizzle out pretty soon and go the way of the PDs, Renua and others before. Irish people moan all day about our politicians but for the majority of us when we get into the polling booth it’s the same old same old. Other countries have a left, right and centre. We have the left butt cheek, the right butt cheek and the hole. All different sides of the one ass.
Ah sure he’s great.
Might cause disruption to existing cartel and Peader and his crew could end up propping up some class of Govt after next election whilst SF belllyache from sidelines
Peadar unfortunately showed his true colours. In a democracy you agree to accept the will of the majority. Look at the incompetent slimeballs who currently govern us. No fair minded person could support them. The fact is that enough trough nudging sycophants do means they are in Government. Peadar should have respected the democratic will of his party. The fact that he refused to do is a lucky escape for those of us who believe in a socialist republic.
@Frankie Mangan: The fact that SF wouldn’t allow him and members like him to express their views is undemocratic. Even FG and FF accommodated for people with different views on this topic in their own party.
Believe Peadar will have is work cut out big time as his new organisation will invariably attract a lot of right wing reactionary cranks who will be hard to handle. Surprised that only 50 turned up at the Tyrone meeting in Omagh this week and even further surprised that he was photoed signing a pledge to oppose plans for a Goldmine in the Sperrins given that he has always been an enthusiastic supporter of Tara Mines in his native Meath. Big contradiction there!
@Saorlaith: Wouldnt surprise me if your a spokesperson for dalradian gold tracking destroying the sperrins saorlaith Over 150 in omagh on a short notice first meeting in tyrone is amazing & ive attended & seen hundreds of republican meetings in omagh not one had an attendance as big.
@Éamonn ÓGallchobhair: Eamon totally opposed to Dalradian’s plans for our area. Welcome Peadar’s support but find it inconsistent with his long standing support for Tara Goldmines. Was talking to a person who attended who said they were disappointed that only about 50 attended. Dindn’t see any online photos of crowd of Omah event unlike others which would lend weight to the low attendance
I just don’t get it. The abortion question will never be opened up again. The only way it could, would be for this new party to be the sole government party. I think I have more chance of winning the euro millions than that happening. As someone who voted to repeal, I respect the pro-life position, but Peader your on a loser here.
@Hugh Corcoran: The abortion question will now be an election issue going forward. It is far from closed. All anyone needs is a few TD’s with the balance of power, accepting a cut here, or an increase there, and you get what you want in return.
Show me the policies.
I’d say now enjoy your last few months in the dail -
I’m going to vote for him, can’t bear the rest of them
To be fair, even before the abortion furoar, Toibin was one of two people who was actually interested in doing stuff for their community. The other one is a Fine Gael councillor. The rest of them? Never see them, can’t get hold of them when you want them. There are a lot more issues than just abortion. Now that it’s over, what about homelessness, housing shortages, insane rent costs, school place shortages in Meath. There are a lot of reasons for the people of Meath to want proactive people in the Dail, even if they aren’t in the leading party.
Fair play to him he is against the wholesale slaughter of babies and he stands by his beliefs.
have your say