Party is little more than a Fianna Fáil sub-office

I WAS a founder-member of the PDs. I joined hoping to see an end to the era of Fianna Fáil corruption under Charles Haughey. I am no longer a PD member.

We now have Bertie Ahern, as Charlie’s successor, continuing to set poor ethical standards in politics by accepting large amounts of money for questionable purposes.

Mary Harney seems to acquiesce while Michael McDowell, after an attempt to kick the ball into the net, left the field.

A second reason I joined was that I hoped to see the start of an end to civil war political divisions and a liberal, pluralist party emerge.

But far from a transformation taking place, we now have the rump of the PDs as nothing much short of a sub-office of Fianna Fáil.

As for pluralism, I suggest there was nothing very liberal about the PDs support for the last abortion referendum and not a word is said about the public service broadcaster relaying the prayer of the Catholic Church twice daily at the expense of the taxpayer. Even Vatican radio doesn’t do this.

Surely this is one litmus test of our desire to become a pluralist country?

Robin Bury

Chairman

The Reform Movement

Military Road

Killiney

Co Dublin