Politics

AAA-PBP claims election success marks rise of left

Analysis: Group’s poll result is proof of major increase in the popularity of their politics

Richard Boyd Barrett voting at the Harold School, in Glastule, Dublin: he held his seat in Dún Laoghaire. Photograph: Justin Farrelly
Richard Boyd Barrett voting at the Harold School, in Glastule, Dublin: he held his seat in Dún Laoghaire. Photograph: Justin Farrelly
Fiach Kelly
Mon Feb 29 2016 - 01:00

The newly merged political grouping of Anti-Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit (AAA-PBP) say the results of the general election mark a new rise of the left in Ireland. The grouping returned its three outgoing TDs and is likely to see three, possibly four, seat gains when counting is over.

If the AAA-PBP gets seven seats, it will have enhanced speaking rights in the Dáil, including the right to question the Taoiseach in the Leaders’ Questions slot. The AAA-PBP announced a form of merger last year to campaign on a platform of opposition to water charges and other issues.

Richard Boyd Barrett, Paul Murphy and Ruth Coppinger held their seats in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin South-West and Dublin West respectively, with Gino Kenny taking a seat in Dublin Mid-West and Mick Barry winning in Cork North-Central.

Brid Smith took the fifth and last seat in Dublin South-Central, but a recount has been called by Fianna Fáil’s Catherine Ardagh. The results in Dublin South-West are also contingent on the outcome of a full recount beginning on Monday.

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The group must win seven seats to qualify for party status in the Dáil. It cannot ask other TDs to join its group after the election and use the increased numbers to achieve party status.

If any grouping falls short of the seven seats once the election results are finalised, they would have to join a technical group of deputies to qualify for enhanced speaking rights. Only one technical group may exist at a given time.

Mr Boyd Barrett said the general election result was a huge achievement for the group, which achieved just below 4 per cent of the national first-preference vote.

He said this was a big success when Labour looked like winning only seven seats at best, the Social Democrats failed to make any gains beyond their three outgoing seats and Renua failed to take any seats.

“We went from being newly formed to almost 4 per cent,” Mr Boyd Barrett said. “That is a huge achievement.”

Ms Coppinger’s success in Dublin West will be seen a major victory for the AAA-PBP, with many predicting she could lose her seat in a squeeze between Tánaiste Joan Burton and Sinn Féin. Sinn Féin’s Paul Donnelly was seen as a near-certainty but he came fifth in the four-seater constituency. Fine Gael’s Leo Varadkar took the first seat, with Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers second with Ms Coppinger third and Ms Burton fourth.