The Green Party, Labour, Social Democrats, and Solidarity-People Before Profit

Smaller parties can have a big impact on how Irish governments are run, whether by joining coalition governments or by putting pressure on bigger parties from the opposition. A coalition is where two or more parties will join to form a government that has enough support to pass new laws. So when you go to vote in Ireland, it is useful to know about as many parties as possible and to consider which ones you’d most like to see with the power to make change.

The Green Party, Labour, the Social Democrats and Solidarity-People Before Profit are some of the political parties that stand for election in Ireland. All four support left-wing policies, but there are some important differences between them. They are generally considered to be smaller parties within the Irish political system, though of course, each has the potential to grow if enough voters choose to support them.

Where did these parties come from?

The Labour Party in Ireland

Of these four parties, the Labour Party is the oldest. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 and aimed to represent working-class people, particularly members of the trade union movement. Over time, the party’s focus expanded to include social issues such as women’s rights and equality for LGBTI+ people. Labour has participated in eight coalition governments in the history of the Republic, usually with Fine Gael, most recently from 2011-2016. A coalition is where two or more political parties join together to form a government.

The current leader of the Labour Party is Ivana Bacik. The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, was also a member of the Labour Party.

The Green Party in Ireland

The Green Party was founded in 1981 as a party that aimed to protect the environment and create a fairer society.  The party won 12 seats in the 2020 General Election, and three Green Party members serve as Ministers in the current Government. The leader of the Green Party is Roderic O’Gorman. The Green Party has participated in the Irish government twice, from 2007 to 2011 as junior partner in a coalition with Fianna Fáil, and since June 2020 in a coalition with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

Solidarity and People Before Profit in Ireland

Solidarity and People Before Profit are two socialist parties who work together as a group in the Dáil. People Before Profit was founded in 2005 and Solidarity in 2014. Both are usually described as being on the “far-left” of politics, favouring major change to promote equality and decrease the power of wealth in society.  Richard Boyd Barrett is the leader of People Before Profit; Solidarity does not have a single leader.

The Social Democrats in Ireland

The Social Democrats are one of the newest parties in Irish politics. They were set up in 2015 to promote policies such as more spending on public services, more equality within society and tougher laws against corruption. The leader of the Social Democrats is Holly Cairns.

Relations Between the Parties

The Social Democrats, the Labour Party and Solidarity-People Before Profit are in opposition in the Dáil, meaning that they do not support the current Government, which includes the Green Party.

Generally, all four parties agree about the need for a more equal spread of money and resources within society, a bigger role for the Government in tackling homelessness, higher taxes on the wealthy and better social support for the poor. All four were strong supporters of a Yes vote in the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment, which legalised abortion in Ireland.

However, Solidarity-PBP and the Greens often disagree over the best way to combat climate change. The Green Party favours higher taxes on carbon to discourage people from polluting, while Solidarity-PBP thinks this will unfairly impact on the least well-off in society.

Who else can I support?

The Green Party, Labour, the Social Democrats and Solidarity-People Before Profit are just some of the many political options for Irish voters. Parties like Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin all have their own policies and visions for Ireland’s future. It’s up to each individual voter to decide which (if any) of these political parties deserves their support.

You can read more about Ireland’s political parties and find out more about the differences between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin.

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