PD man’s challenge to the pundits

YOUR political correspondent Shaun Connolly suggests (July 14) that the PDs tried to “bring Thatcherism with a human face to Ireland”.

As a member of the party who joined at the Metropole Hotel in Cork in 1986, I am sick to death of this verbal diarrhoea.

I did not join a Thatcherite party ... I did not go to regular meetings to discuss Thatcherite policies ... I did not go out and canvass for so-called right-wing capitalists. I joined the PDs to try influence policy so as to ensure a better life for all our citizens.

Most of the people who sat with me at various meetings were community activists from all corners of the country who do the normal community work expected of such people. Yes, normal PAYE workers trying to improve the lot of their community.

Many of our long meetings resulted in policies such as:

Minimum wage;

Less taxation, more employment;

The setting up of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board;

Creation of National Treatment Purchase Fund;

Reduction of car insurance costs;

Introduction of carers’ allowance;

Creation of Garda Reserve;

Ban on smokey coal.

We the ordinary party members are furious at the way we have been described by so-called political experts in the media.

Unfortunately, answering these allegations takes time and most of us are working people who can’t afford that luxury. I ask political correspondents to name at least five policies that could be described as Thatcherite.

There is a bottle of wine for each one named. In fact, I will pay for dinner for any correspondents who can name at least five. So let’s see how good they are backing up their outlandish charges.

Michael Burns

8 Glenrichmond

Glanmire

Co Cork