An Ultimatum To The Political Leadership

The candidates, activists, canvassers and voters at large, share a common destiny.

I have given sufficient time from the result of the local elections until now, to cast my judgment at the parties and to make a call out to those like me to take a stand against what I can only describe as organised cunt acting. Although I have a relatively sound relationship with the individuals and membership of these groups, I have had my fill of watching nationalists fostering a whole multi-polar labyrinth of absolute positions and petty differences. I am going to speak some home truths and invite you along with me as I call for us to make demands of our political leadership.

Firstly, well done to all candidates for what you achieved and what you carried out. You went out there, in numbers not seen in nearly a hundred years and canvassed on a nationalist ticket. Some of us were rougher around the edges than others, but we all banded together and canvassed with each other, promoted each other and supported each other. With a few ridiculous exceptions, the candidates functioned as a block, encouraging transfers to each other on the doors in what I can confidently describe as an informal nationalist block. After experiencing this unofficial block in action I can resolutely say that there is indeed the bone structure of a singular nationalist party already formed. Hermann Kelly, Derek Blighe, AJ Cahill, Patrick Quinlan, Malachy Steenson et al, have a unique opportunity to form a singular, Nationalist political entity in advance of the looming general election. It is the will of everyone in the movement that this happens. So what is the hold up?

Nearly all of these figure heads possess varying combinations of qualities that are necessary to operate a political party, some better than others. Leadership, fearlessness and established connections through various institutions such as Malachy with the Republican movement and Hermann Kelly with Nigel Farage and the conservative EU parliamentary groups. Others have been at the spearhead of the protests against covid, Hatespeech and immigration in various capacities. All of these issues have gathered people from all over Ireland into one focal point. Out of varying degrees of separation alone have our people chosen to follow one party or another and are mostly not subscribed to cult groupie mentality. The small inner circles of these parties and independent operators have certainly entrenched themselves into the image and ethos of their respective projects, and as a matter of pride rightly so, but the rest of us do not subscribe to that. This renders any notion that these parties must preserve their own subjective axioms mute, particularly so when the difference between party programs is barely the width of a hair.

Arbitrary differences and excessive over specialisation of political doctrine bloats every initiative, whether it is apprehension to associate with stronger or weaker views or the incessant need to compare wits. A multipolar right creates a storm in tea cup scenario every time we are set to advance. It is because of this, we do not yet have a political option to give to the electorate. Instead we are handing them a jig-saw puzzle with a confusing image to piece together that just isn’t worth the effort. In order to be a political threat here at home, we need to emulate what constitutes a political threat abroad. A single-block-party with all of our energies zero’d in on a focal point of political real estate would be a bigger threat at the ballot box and far more enticing to the silent majority. It would also create a huge gravity well of interest in the news cycles in terms of buzz and excitement. Think of the effect that a broadcasted public announcement of such a thing would have on the masses now that the possibility of a nationalist force has been shown them by the French?

What this means on paper, is that all the names above will have to selflessly give up their current mode of operation and climb aboard the Battle Bus of a conglomerate party. What would the party be called? what will the principles be? who will lead it? Who will form the Ard Chomhairle? none of this can be decided before hand. All of these personalities must commit to the project blindly, therefore removing the endless meetings and ego battles that I have witnessed over the last few weeks. The faster this is done from start to finish the better. So, who will agree to it and who will drag their heels?

Hermann Kelly as far as I am aware has made substantial offers and concessions to Derek and Malachy with little to nothing offered in return. This to me is infuriating considering how much effort has gone into building the political profiles of all these men by the wider movement. The pedantic carry on of these men is at this moment in Irish political history, a massive problem. Derek’s Ireland First party should never have been formed in the first place with two other Nationalist parties already formed at that time. The same goes for The Irish People whom I ran for and gladly at that. These two parties need to fold without question and integrate into the established groupings. Malachy, remaining as an independent is no longer acceptable to the rest of us as a movement as we get nothing from this in return. Malachy now has his council seat and we helped him get there. We need to demand his participation in return. In the aftermath of the fiasco with independent Ireland, namely their tryst with Fianna Fail behind the closed door of the EU group system, the independent brand is irreparably damaged. This needs to be accepted by the lone wolfs, and for them to merge with the pack. We as a movement need to convey our thoughts to Malachy, Hermann, Derek and Co and tell them what we want, not the other way around. We should do this this not out of devilment, but rather the sense of urgency which we all now surely feel upon us.

The other elephant in the room is the situation with the National Party. Justin Barrett has locked everyone out and shoved the keys through the letterbox of NP HQ, and Reynolds has maliciously steered the White Sea Horse into the rocks and stowed away with Privateer Mullooly, leaving the The National Party finished in real terms. Due to this legal dead end with the continuity of the party, Councillor Patrick Quinlan emerges as the natural leader of an impressive, tightknit group of radical young nationalists. Without the nomination papers required to run under the NP banner, the Quinlanites are another group that should be called upon to join the rest in the new united front, even though we know they will be the most resistant to do so. Having met a few of these guys recently I can say that under no circumstances should they be dismissed or abandoned to the terminal fate of the NP party brand. This leaves only one party on the board as viable in its current form. The Irish Freedom Party. All that is left to do is decide if we stick with that branding, or if we formulate a new popular brand. I propose the latter.

What I am saying here is that we should pressure these groups to shed their skin and amalgamate, but I want to be explicitly clear here, we must implore them to do it. We as regular folk who are not tied into the inner workings of the parties must throw down the gauntlet to these people and tell them that our support and our presence at rallies etc is not guaranteed, it is not infinite and omnipresent. People will check out of this thing if we do not give them something to get their teeth into. In order for the political elements of this thing of ours to continue to be supported, they must lead with pragmatism at the fore. They must do this by creating the ultra-party.

We as a movement possess the means to tear down entire establishment parties. We also possess the power to build them. We are in the ascendency as our politics is popular and only becoming more popular by the day. There are many personalities who may feel they are entitled to be king, entitled to our fealty, but they are not. Hermann, Derek, Malachy, AJ, Quinlan and co, stand together at rallies and pass each other the microphone and smile and clap and cheer when each other speaks. They pick each other up in celebration at the count centres. I put it to them and all of you, as they stand shoulder to shoulder at these moments, so should they be shoulder to shoulder within a single organisation, under a single banner. We have 150+ candidates blooded through the local election process. We have a network of 400+ canvassers and upwards of 100,000 conspicuous voters already on paper registering their desire for nationalism. We have a network of activists who day in day out agitate on behalf of Ireland, selflessly might I add. We have a loose collective of dissident media who break and change narratives for breakfast. None of us have to wear a saddle on our backs for any of the parties or individuals who stand to gain a lot from all of our collective efforts. We are in our rights to force this issue.

I also need to dedicate small bit of this to those of us whom did not pledge to one party or the other and ran independently either in the locals or in the Europeans. We need you now to force the issue with the rest of us, on the matter of a single party. I am of course talking about the Una McGuirk’s and the John Waters of this world among others. A proactive pledge to run for “The Party”, should it be formed, will in itself help to formulate it. A selfless act of solitude with the rest of us in calling for such an initiative is exactly what is required of you now. Dig Deep and manifest this thing.

No more back-stroking meetings are needed. Every subsequent meeting from here on in is just another opportunity for schism. Simply get the secretaries to draft the paperwork, assuring that no pound of flesh is taken from anyone, and sign on the dotted line. If we get dragged into a general election in this current fractured state then the mentioned network above will naturally withdraw their support for what will certainly become the whacky races at the polls. The mental, financial and physical resources must be prioritised in all of this. Are we going to confuse the electorate with four or more leaflets again? run candidates over the top of each other again? divide regional nationalist groups along party lines again?

Make your voice heard. Contact the relevant parties below and call for a single brand this coming General Election.

Ireland First
Irish Freedom Party
National Party
The Irish People

malachy.steenson@dublincity.ie and any other relevant person