Divide and rule - Labour & partition in Irish History

Introduction
The partition of Ireland was a conscious act on the part of British imperialism chiefly intended to divide the working class along sectarian lines. As the recent troubles have made the publication of works on Irish history more profitable, a host of academics have presented ever newer accounts of the division of the country. In the midst of this welter of publication the above straightforward fact about partition has often been lost sight of. In particular this has been the case among those who have spent their energies seeking some justification to rationalize and excuse the division of Ireland, so that they, in turn, may excuse themselves from opposing this division. Above all, this is true of those who justify partition with the completely false idea that the division of the country somehow reflects the existence of two separate nations in Ireland.

Defending real trade unionism

Sacked Belfast Airport Workers
A reply to Unite leaders' slanders and lies

The Socialist Party has produced this pamphlet answering the lies of the Unite leaders' in relation to their dispute with the sacked Bellfast airport workers. We are posting the contents of this pamphlet in response to the fact that Unite continue to spread these lies on their website.

By Peter Hadden

A Socialist Party Pamphlet (2008)

Towards Division Not Peace

By Peter Hadden
Can the working class unite to build a real peace process.

The real ideas of James Connolly

This article is part of the series collected by the Socialist Party, the CWI in Ireland, on aspects of Labour History.

And 2 letters about Connolly and Religion

The real ideas of James Connolly

An article by Peter Hadden which appeared in Socialism Today, theoretical journal of the SP in England/Wales was followed by 2 letters on Connolly and Religion, issues 100, 102-103.

James Connolly was a Marxist, a revolutionary socialist and an internationalist. On the ninetieth anniversary of his execution, Peter Hadden reviews his life of unremitting struggle to advance the interests of the working class and overthrow the existing social order.

In 1910 James Connolly concluded his pamphlet, Labour, Nationality and Religion, in the simplest and most straightforward terms: "The day has passed for patching up the capitalist system, it must go". Ninety years after his death it is necessary to begin any true account of James Connolly’s life with reminders of what he really believed in, what he really fought for.

The struggle for socialism today

Written by Peter Hadden Friday, 05 February 2010 20:34

A reply to the politics of the Socialist Workers Party

A 1999 document by the Socialist Party in Ireland
Introduction by Tom Crean

This pamphlet, written in the form of an open letter, originated in correspondence between the Socialist Party in Ireland and the Socialist Workers Party [in Ireland - Ed], initiated by the latter. The SWP approached us with a view to having a bloc in the recent local elections. While we were willing to discuss this, we had severe reservations about the positions and methods of the SWP which we wished to discuss before considering an agreement.

Troubled Times - The national question in Ireland

Written by Peter Hadden Friday, 05 February 2010 15:31

How did Ireland's national problem arise? What was the reason for partition? Does the British ruling class really want to pull out? Must the working class always be divided on this issue? This landmark publication looks again at Irish history right up to the present. It refutes much of what has become the accepted wisdom of current academics who see no way of overcoming the sectarian division. It offers something unique - a programme on the national question to unite, rather than divide the working class. For those seeking ways in which the national problem can be overcome, this challenging book is a must. First published in 1995.

Beyond the Troubles?

August 31, 1994, and the IRA's announcement of a ceasefire, will go down as an historic date in Irish history. The ending of the IRA campaign was quickly followed by pressure from working class communities on the loyalist paramilitaries, the UDA and the UVF, to likewise call a halt. Six weeks later they also called off their campaigns.

Does this mean that after 25 years, over 3,350 dead and ten times that number injured, the Northern Ireland Troubles are over?