Why Sinn Féin?

Ex-Green Party and Independent Cork City Councillor Chris O’Leary on joining Sinn Féin

Martin Ferris TD welcomes Chris O'Leary to Sinn Féin at Cork City Hall with Sinn Féin Councillors Fiona Kerins, Jonathan O'Brien, Tommy Gould and Henry Cremin

ON JULY 8th I publicly announced my decision to join Sinn Féin. It was a step I was glad to take and one which had been coming for some time. The reaction to my decision since from people in all walks of life has been overwhelmingly positive. Nonetheless, some may ask “Why Sinn Féin?”
I became active as a community development worker and a campaigner on issues such as unemployment, housing, early education interventions, youth and community facilities, childcare, anti-social behaviour, ending social segregation and others.
In the 1980s I was approached to support the election campaign of Dan Boyle, which I agreed to and over the years became more involved with the Green Party.
In the 2002 general election campaign I acted as campaign manager for Dan Boyle, who was successfully elected to the Dáil that year. Subsequently I was selected at a Green Party convention to replace Dan on Cork City Council. In the 2004 local elections I switched wards to stand in Cork South-East and was elected with over 1,086 first-preferences. That same year I stood as the Green Party’s European election candidate.
In the 2007 general election, I stood for the Green Party in Cork North Central (Dan Boyle TD was standing on the Southside). Shortly afterwards, the Greens entered government. I had quite a few doubts about entering coalition with Fianna Fáil. However, I believed the internal argument being made at the time that it was best to be inside bringing about change rather than outside on the opposition benches, heckling with no real opportunities to impact on critical issues.
As time passed I found myself becoming more and more disillusioned at the dilution of Green Party policies in government.
I openly campaigned for a ‘No’ vote on the Lisbon Treaty in 2008 and the subsequent re-run of the referendum would see the Green Party openly supporting the ‘Yes’ side, leaving Sinn Féin as the only true alternative to the Establishment.
In October 2008, this disillusionment came to a head. In response to the escalating economic crisis, which I believed was caused by unscrupulous bankers and property developers and an incompetent government, the Fianna Fáil/Green coalition decided that the ordinary working person would foot the bill through cutbacks in wages and services.
I could not support a party or a government that would slash education, health, and vital infrastructure budgets while the greedy bankers, property developers and fat cats who caused the crisis walked away scot-free.
I had come to believe that the Green Party had forsaken their traditional values and I could not honestly go on representing my constituents as a Green Party councillor. In January 2009, I publicly announced my decision to leave the Green Party. The months that followed saw other senior members follow suit.
At the time of my resignation, I was approached by a number of political parties to consider joining them. At that time I did not want to rush a decision or hastily rejoin a party. In the 2009 local elections, I stood as an Independent and was successfully re-elected with an increased vote. I formed alliances with like-minded groupings and individuals at local and national levels on campaigns against government policies.
Since 2002 I had been the whip of a technical group on Cork City Council made up of smaller parties, including Sinn Féin. We worked together creatively to get motions and policy passed at City Council level and I quickly established a good relationship with my Sinn Féin colleagues.
I also watched as the party become a progressively stronger force in Cork City, increasing its vote in election after election and doubling its representation on the council in 2009.
I saw Sinn Féin members and representatives campaigning on issues that are also important to me - for a real job-creation strategy, for investment in communities, addressing housing needs, for action on anti-social behaviour and drugs, against NAMA and against public service cutbacks. We found ourselves taking many of the same positions and working together on many of the same campaigns. Over time Sinn Féin came to seem like my natural political home.
I had also come to believe that Ireland badly needed a genuine political alternative to the Establishment parties. I believe that both at local and national level Sinn Féin is providing that alternative.
During the Celtic Tiger years, unlike others – including the Labour Party – Sinn Féin argued against tax cuts because they were unsustainable and demanded that the Government end its reckless fuelling of the property bubble.
Sinn Féin’s republican values promoting equality, social justice and Irish unity reflect my own beliefs.
Sinn Féin is about providing real political change, not offering more of the same. Its leadership has repeatedly called in recent years for the creation of an alliance for change composed of left-wing parties, trade unions and community groups that would offer an alternative to the Civil War parties. Meanwhile, the Labour Party has nailed its colours to the mast in terms of once again propping up a Fine Gael-led government at the next opportunity. This is not a genuine political alternative to the current coalition.
That being said, I am not opposed in principle to the concept of coalition government. That is not the reason I left the Green Party. I left the Greens because they were upholding unjust policies.
So what about the future? I am excited and enthused at the prospect of working with the rest of my colleagues in Cork to continue building Sinn Féin as a radically grassroots campaigning organisation in the city. The momentum is with us, and I believe we will see further growth in the future.
On Cork City Council, Sinn Féin - with just one less than Fianna Fáil - is acknowledged as the real opposition. At the next election I believe there will be more of us. And I look forward with confidence to seeing Sinn Féin candidates challenging for seats in both Cork North Central and South Central at the next general election.
I am sure other elected representatives seeking a progressive party that stands up for ordinary people and offers a clear political alternative will look at my decision to join Sinn Féin and consider whether this would also be the right decision for them.