Sinn Féin call on Labour grassroots to make voice heard and oppose controversial household tax

County Wexford Sinn Féin councillors Anthony Kelly and Johnny Mythen are urging local Labour Party grassroots members to make their voices heard and call on their leadership to scrap the unjust household charge following reports that the government intend to use household utility bills to pursue those who have not registered to pay the controversial tax.

Cllr Kelly said;

“This is a prime example of how far this government is prepared to go to impose this unjust tax on the Irish people. Only 15% of the population have registered yet, which is a very clear indication that the people have broadly rejected this tax which they know only too well will be used to fund the bail out of toxic banks and the unsecured bondholders. The intimidation of the hard pressed families to pay this tax that they simply can’t afford is completely at odds with the Labour Party election manifesto.”

“So far the government has netted about €20 million from the household tax, far less than the €160 million they were expecting to raise. To put that in perspective, at the end of this month we will pay out €3.1 billion on an annual promissory note. That money is being used to recapitalise toxic banks and pay off the debts of unguaranteed bondholders of Anglo Irish Bank. Under pressure Irish families are being coerced with all kinds of threats by a government that would put the needs of these international gamblers above those of its own citizens.”

Cllr Johnny Mythen said;

“A little over a year ago the Labour party ran an election on a manifesto that prioritised fairness, job creation and reform. Where is the fairness in harassing hard pressed Irish homeowners into paying a tax that they cannot afford and which has venomously rejected by the Irish public? How will jobs be created if our government continues to suck money out of the local economy? They will not be. More small and medium enterprises will go under leading to more unemployment. Where is the reform when Labour in government is happy to implement the devastating Fianna Fail economics that got us in this mess in the first place? The same policies that they roundly opposed when sitting on the other side of the house.”

“The Labour leadership may have abandoned its core principals and ideals but I refuse to believe that the decent hardworking labour grassroots has done the same. It’s time for those grassroots members to come out and tell their leadership that they are not happy and will not accept this wholesale betrayal of labour ideology anymore.”