PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT TD Paul Murphy has defended asking Sinn Féin to participate in a vote-left, transfer-left pact for the local elections despite admitting that the party’s rhetoric has shifted “rightwards”.

Earlier this week, People Before Profit wrote to Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats and Independent candidates on the left to propose the voting pact but excluded the Green Party and Labour from its plans. 

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said the Greens and Labour were not contacted about the pact because both have “propped up” Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in the past. 

The party said the pact should carry a commitment from those involved not to enter into ruling Council groups after the elections that include Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael. 

A spokesperson for the Social Democrats said the party will not be entering into any transfer pacts with other parties. 

“We encourage our voters to maximise the use of their vote by transferring to other left and progressive candidates,” the spokesperson said.

Speaking to The Journal Paul Murphy said Sinn Féin were included in the transfer offer despite its “rhetoric moving rightwards towards the centre” because he believes Sinn Féin voters are looking for a left-alternative Government.

Murphy said Sinn Féin voters are “certainly looking for an alternative to the rule of capitalist market”.

He said he was disappointed with the emphasis Sinn Féin has placed on telling big businesses that nothing would change if they were in Government, but that on things like housing and health care Sinn Féin is still to the left of the Government.

“They’re in favour of proper rent controls, in favour of the eviction ban. So while we would go further than them I still think their policies in terms of some of the key issues that affect people is to the left of the political establishment.

“Even though unfortunately, and I think lots of people are disappointed about it, their trajectory is rightwards,” Murphy said. 

When asked if voters can infer from this that some of the rhetoric coming from Sinn Féin in relation to migration isn’t a red line issue for People Before Profit, Murphy said that isn’t the case. 

He said ahead of the general election People Before Profit (PBP) will produce a clear series of red lines addressed at Sinn Féin on what Government PBP would participate in. 

He said among these would be “opposition to any scapegoating of migrants and supporting the right of people to seek asylum in this country”. 

“We’re certainly concerned about the direction that Sinn Féin is going on that.

We would like to apply pressure on them to come back towards the left, as opposed to sliding rightwards.”

Labour voters

When asked if the same cannot be said about Labour voters looking for the same left alternative as Sinn Féin voters, Murphy said “no, strangely not”. 

“If you look demographically at Labour voters, they disproportionately transfer to Fine Gael. 

“Whereas Sinn Féin voters disproportionately transfer to us and other left parties,” Murphy said. 

“I don’t doubt that there are some left-minded Labour voters, but actually the polls don’t really indicate that that is their core voting base anymore,” he added. 

On the Green Party, he said the same is true and added that the Green Party is in Government “implementing right-wing policies”. 

“I don’t think the Green Party has any credibility whatsoever to claim that they are a left-wing party,” Murphy added.