Anti-austerity group seeks to block main parties in council

Talks on the election of a new lord mayor of Cork and on city council voting arrangements look set to go down to the wire.

With the council’s annual meeting due to take place on Friday evening, the various political parties and groupings were still locked in talks last night.

Nominees for the position of lord mayor have yet to be declared.

And with the figures on the 31-seat council finely balanced — Fianna Fáil has 10 seats, Sinn Féin has eight, Fine Gael has five, and the Anti-Austerity Alliance, the Workers’ Party, and Independents have eight — one councillor described it as the “tightest council” he has ever been involved in.

A deal between Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin would give them a majority with two votes to spare. A deal between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and at least two Independents has also been mooted.

Yesterday, the AAA stepped up its campaign for a new leadership team in the council chamber and a change in policy on the part of the council.

The AAA’s three councillors, Mick Barry, Marion O’Sullivan, and Lil O’Donnell, wrote to Sinn Féin, the Workers’ Party, and the four Independents seeking talks aimed at establishing a new ruling coalition which it said would be committed to pursuing an anti-austerity strategy at City Hall. If they could agree a deal, the AAA, Sinn Féin, the Workers’ Party, and Independents would have a majority 16 seats — with no room to spare on votes.

The AAA said it believes that an anti-austerity strategy would involve presenting a council budget in December without cuts, privatisations, rent increases or unfair charges.

“We also believe it should involve an end to the ‘do-nothing’ policy in relation to the city’s social housing crisis by providing for a massive increase in council house-building,” said Mr Barry. “People voted for change on May 23. They made Cork City Council a Labour Party-free zone, they virtually halved the Fine Gael representation, and they reduced the old pact parties to a minority in the council.

“We believe it is the responsibility of the forces that stand outside the old pact parties to change the policy of the council and to form an alliance committed to implementing such a change.”

The AAA said it would be a “betrayal” of the vote for change for any group or individual to give “the kiss of life” to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael by using their vote to revive the old pact in return for the lord mayor’s chain.

The AAA also said the d’Hondt proposals advocated by Sinn Féin would not result in any change of policy on the part of the council and would result in both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael holding important positions, including the mayoral chain, and council committee chairmanships over the next five years.

Outgoing Lord Mayor Catherine Clancy, who lost her seat in the recent local elections, told Neil Prendeville on RedFM yesterday: “I am disappointed, of course, but there is no bitterness.”