Bree slams Labour Leadership over disintegration of Leitrim LP

by Derek Kelly Tue Jul 03, 2007 15:06

Bree knew his sell outs in the Dail caused him his seat and since 1997 has been trying to re-establish himself as a hard-line soclialist. Attacking the leadership when it suited him, jumping on every left-wing profile enhancing media event that passed his way.

All this proves is that his politics are not hewn from core socialist principles but rather are steered by the perception of giving what he thinks the public want or will get him elected.

Thats called opportunism.

Bree is a fool to many and a Hero to one........himself.

by Sligo Champion Tue Jul 03, 2007 13:57

I think that 'Lenin Sarsfiled' is having a laugh. Many a sell-out has a glorious past.

Ever since the downfall of the Stalinist Soviet Union Bree has been like a rudderless boat. Bree went into Dáil and twice voted for right-wing Taoisigh. Bree went into the Dáil and voted for tax amnesties. That was the time for Bree to stand up and be a voice of left-opposition to the sell-out Labour leadership. Bree lost his seat as he sold out and the Labour Party sold out. If he stood up then and left that Party he'd have been re-elected in 1997 and most likely since then.

Even in the last weeks even after posing on the left around the McGarry issue he has sold out. He voted for a Fianna Fáil Mayor in return for a chain around his neck. I'm sure after the Revolution the school children will learn of how Comrade Bree mastered great advances for the world working class in return for his vote while he had the Deputy Mayoralty of a town in Western Ireland.

by R Ross Tue Jul 03, 2007 13:37

well said lenin no one can touch bree. To be elected at 22 in 1974 as a member of connelly youth in the west of ireland was amazing. To have a member of new labour losing the head over him in 2007 proofs how good he is.

by J Colder Tue Jul 03, 2007 10:00

The old, 'He's earned his dues, let him sell out in peace and get what’s coming to him' line

It is truely pathetic that both here and on other threads similarly construed arguements are put forward with piecemeal tributes regarding Bree.

Well at least the admission is clear. Bree has sold out. He has faced the fact that he is incapable of manifesting change and that circumstances 'beyond his control' have got the better of him.

As the old saying goes.

'If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!'

by Lenin Sarsfield Tue Jul 03, 2007 06:29

Regardless of your politics you've got to admit that Declan Bree has always been a strong and unique personality in the dull middle Ireland culture of Sligo and Leitrim. From Connolly Youth Movement (after Legion of Mary) to independent left to Labour and now back to independent left since the early 1970s is some career. He's had his hand in all the causes over the years - local housing protests, H-Block, the prolife issue, Reagan's visit to Ballyporeen, the Shannon-Iraq issue - you name it, he's been there. He cultivated a local power base carefully which Sinn Fein after the 1981 hunger strikes gradually mobilised to dismantle. Mayor of Sligo and one-term Labour TD are testament to his dogged determination and instinctive campaigning. Only one honour eludes him, Sligo Person of the Year, which the mediocre social establishment will never grant him. But the stress on personality politics west of the Shannon kills ideology and political movements fade away with their activist champions. Maybe it's true about most of Ireland. The public puts personal dynamism before ideas.

by J Colder Mon Jul 02, 2007 23:01

"I was not talking about bree' I was talking about the last two monthly meeting been called off in sligo / leitrim after polling just 1500 votes in the G E where the candidate hide the day of the count, I saying new labour in sligo is dead in the water. I like sharing good news"

I see, you're a right winger here to gloat. Fair enough. The only problem is this thread is about Bree and his vitriol towards Labour. Funny how your objectives seem to coincide. But sure why wouldn't they, Bree is up to his neck in electoral pacts with FF, where it seems he will find a home in his twilight years.

Anyway gloating isn't news, its just pathetic

by r ross Mon Jul 02, 2007 21:33

I was not talking about bree' I was talking about the last two monthly meeting been called off in sligo / leitrim after polling just 1500 votes in the G E where the candidate hide the day of the count, I saying new labour in sligo is dead in the water. I like sharing good news

by J Colder Mon Jul 02, 2007 00:26

You bump a dead thread to raise what point exactly?
Bree is no stranger to Junkets, he's had his trips to the US on taxpayers money on ore than one occasion FFS.

Two Labour meetings where called off in Dublin North Central last week due to insufficient numbers to form a quorum. Is Labour collapsing here too?

Meetings get called off all the time. Keep your mustache on for God sake.

by r ross Sun Jul 01, 2007 23:52

Is it true that the two last meetings of labour in Sligo were called off .The meeting for last thur was called off because the two cllrs were away in norway and denmark on tax payer money. The party in sligo is now dead in the water. With mc garry they make there bed they can now lie in it

by LP Member-North Ward Sun Feb 18, 2007 20:46

Are you seriously trying to suggest that 95% of the electorate of Sligo/North Leitrim dont know who Joe Higgins is?

What was that about living in dreamland?

by john cavan Sun Feb 18, 2007 16:51

your living in dream land i like to see higgins running in sligo 95% of the voters dont know who higgins is

by Electoral Sun Feb 18, 2007 16:39

So you admit it. Bree tailers his politics to the middle of the road. Say that to the people on waiting lists and in crappy schools (Labour supported by Bree were in these ministries in 1992-7 with no improvement). Anyway, I don't accept that people living in the west are naturally inclined to right-wing or clientist politics. How patronising of you to suggest that. An honest fighting left-wing candidate will get support in Sligo in the same way as Joe Higgins does in West Dublin. Problem is that Bree is not such a person. He voted twice for right-wing Taoisigh.

by john cavan Sun Feb 18, 2007 16:25

Higgins or Gregory would never be TD's if they live in the west of ireland. Without middle of the road votes you just dont make it. Bree knew that. East and west are worlds apart

by Electoral Sun Feb 18, 2007 16:06

Declan Bree served as a TD for over 4 years. In that time he voted for Albert Reynolds and John Bruton for Taoiseach. That was his time to rebel against Labour's leadership. He should have established a seperate organisation THEN not now after his long list of 1992-97 sell-outs. Bree has no credibility. He could have been a source of left-opposition to FF-Labour & FG-Labour governments but he decided to support them. He could have been re-elected in '97 if he had the balls to stand-up in the 90s. By now he could have been a left TD alongside Higgins, Healy, Gregory, Daly, etc. But he never decided to stand-up and be counted when it mattered. Why? Fundementally he's a sell-out and an electoral opportunist not a principled left-winger.

by LP Member-North Ward Sun Feb 18, 2007 14:53

Expect Bree to announce he’s running as an Independent off the back of the 'outrageous treatment' of McSharry and Scanlon. Blah blah blah.
Bree has been searching for a reason to leave Labour 'under duress' since he failed to get booted out and has been constantly sniped at for his puerile bawdy attacks at the leadership whilst still a member of the party. He’s actually starting to look ridiculous.

Why didn’t Bree quit labour the minute they accepted a blueshirt in to the Ranks?
People aren’t putting enough thought in to that very damning question.
Bree is an opportunist, deluded into thinking he and he alone has the right to represent the left. That’s why I don’t like the arrogant pr*ck, he’s a control freak.
And as much as I hate McGarry, the reality is that come the election Bree will poll less than even that weasel.

Labour, didn't fall apart because of McGarry or even Rabbitte.

It’s been crumbling for nearly a decade with its disgraceful migration to the right and 'Comrade' Bree has done nothing to prevent it.

by b mc cormack - LEITRIM Sun Feb 18, 2007 08:41

when labour in dublin took in jimmy mc garry to get rid of bree they though bree and he's supporters would quit wentin a month. This did not happen, the real left in the party stay to get up mc garry nose. Dublin consider mc sharry to be hand in glove with bree so they abandon leitrim to FG. Any one with any left wing idea's had to go. This is the new labour

by Kat Tue Apr 04, 2006 19:34

It seems that Labour in Rural Ireland id being sold out for FG votes, Leitrim probably had the highest concentration of LP members than most areas in the west and this is a great shame. Labours chance of winning its first seat on Leitrim Co.Co. is gone with the departure of Gabriel McSharry.