United left would have won more concessions

I’M puzzled as to why the main parties of the left, Labour and SF, didn’t call a meeting of all left-of-centre TDs after the election to agree on a bottom line for negotiations.

FF could not have achieved a majority without some Labour, SF, Green and left independent TDs. If they had co-operated, the left could have achieved at least some degree of progress on:

Ending the two-tier health service.

Restoring public ownership of natural resources (including the Shell field off the Mayo coast).

Ending torture flights via Shannon.

Re-routing major roads away from national monuments.

Ending corporate donations to political parties

Unfortunately, because the Greens were skilfully bought off, no progress was made of any of these issues.

Dr Sean Marlow

90 Willow Park Road

Dublin 11