Author: neilmoore

Courtney Robinson our Labour Alternative candidate for East Belfast - has sent a scathing reply to an appeal for support from anti-abortion group Precious Life. An email from Bernadette Smyth asked if Labour Alternative would "defend the right to life of all unborn children in Northern Ireland". Along with over 200 others, Ms Robinson signed a public letter admitting to helping women procure abortion pills. Ms Robinson has described Precious Life's call for harsher punishment for a woman recently sentenced for using abortion pills as "shameful" and condemned "harassment" of women outside clinics by pro-life activists. She has also hit out at groups like Precious Life being allowed to "emotionally manipulate" young people in schools. Ms Robinson attacked anti-abortion MLAs who "have little concern for the wellbeing of a child…

Labour Alternative welcomes the decision by local members of the British Labour Party to stand in the upcoming Assembly election under the banner of Northern Ireland Labour Representation Committee (NILRC). An opportunity to begin building a credible, anti-sectarian voice for the working class is posed and must be seized. That is precisely why Labour Alternative was launched. The growth in the Labour Party's membership here since Corbyn's election to the leadership is one indicator of the growing desire for an alternative to Green & Orange politics and the austerity consensus at Stormont. Labour Alternative believes, however, that a new party of the working class is most likely to win significant support in both communities here if it is locally-based and develops out of cross-community campaigns and struggles, rather than simply…

"Stormont parties are to blame for disengagement amongst young people" "My generation are not apathetic." "Young people should register to have their voices heard on 5th May" Courtney Robinson - contesting East Belfast for Labour Alternative - is the youngest candidate standing in the Assembly election on 5th May, at the age of 18. Our South Belfast candidate, Sean Burns (19), follows closely behind her. Courtney said: "The Stormont politicians often complain about young people being disengaged from politics. But they are the ones to blame. My generation are totally turned off by their sectarian bickering, backward views and the pro-austerity consensus. They can only offer more of the same - more division, more poverty, more inequality, more discrimination." "My generation are not apathetic. The movement which saw Jeremy Corbyn elected to the…

Labour Alternative candidates Courtney Robinson (18, East Belfast) and Sean Burns (19, South Belfast) have put up a new poster on LGBT equality and the right to choose across their constituencies. The posters have a provocative message for the electorate - "Don't vote for dinosaurs!" Commenting on the poster, Courtney Robinson said: “Last week, a young woman received a suspended sentence under the 150-year-old legislation which governs abortion here. Her ‘crime’ was to procure tablets which the World Health Organisation lists as essential medicines but which are illegal here if taken to induce a miscarriage. The fault lies not with this woman but with all the main political parties, none of whom support a woman’s right to choose." "Northern Ireland is now the only part of Britain and Ireland that…

Labour Alternative spokesperson Courtney Robinson has defended the woman given a suspended sentence for using medical abortion pills and attacked the "sensationalist" media coverage of the case today. "The sensationalist coverage of the case of this young woman is disgusting. On the Nolan Show, for example, attacks on people not in a position to defend themselves are usually cut across. That was not the case today." "This young woman was in a vulnerable and isolated position when she chose to carry out a medical abortion. She needed help and support, not to be criminalised and demonised."   "Those who reported her to the police should be ashamed of themselves. But the real culprits here are the politicians from all the main parties - DUP, SF, UUP, SDLP, Alliance - who…

Northern Ireland’s abortion laws have once again been exposed as outdated and barbaric. A young woman has pleaded guilty to charges brought under legislation that is 150 years old. She has now received a three month suspended sentence. This comes after a High Court ruling which said that our abortion laws are incompatible with human rights. Courtney Robinson, Cross Community Labour Alternative spokesperson and candidate for East Belfast said: “This case has highlighted the situation faced by women in Northern Ireland. Every year over 1000 women travel to England to have a termination. Many more order abortion pills online. These tablets are on the WHO list of essential medicines but are illegal here if taken to have a miscarriage. It is only due to the backwardness of our politicians that…

Larne student Conor Sheridan (24) has announced that he is to contest the upcoming Assembly election in East Antrim for Labour Alternative – a new cross-community, left-wing party. Labour Alternative summarises its aims as: - To fight against austerity, for workers' rights and a better life for all - To fight for equality and against discrimination - To advocate compromise rather than conflict on the issues which divide our communities - To build a new kind of politics against the sectarian agenda of the past. The party has already announced that it is standing two teenagers from across the sectarian divide in South and East Belfast. Conor explained: “I planned to stand as an independent because I felt none of the established parties were for me. I want to provide…

On April 1st, George Osborne's so-called 'living wage' of £7.20/hour for workers aged 25 and over comes into force. Labour Alternative welcomes every pay increase for workers, but this measure falls far short of the Living Wage Foundation's call for £8.25/hour, never mind the £10/hour minimum wage correctly demanded by the Trades Union Congress. Workers under 25, like all of our candidates, will be exempt from the ‘living wage’, falling further behind and become a reserve of super-exploited, cheap labour. Our work is no less valuable. We don’t get discounts on our rent or our bills because we’re young. Youth exemptions must be scrapped. There is no lack of wealth in society. Since 2008, the wealth of the UK's billionaires has quadrupled. Around £120 billion goes unpaid in tax by…

Fees hike would make higher education "preserve of the rich" Labour Alternative demand "free education, not handouts for the fat cats" Threat shows Alliance supports "right-wing austerity agenda" Today we called a picket of Minister for Employment & Learning Stephen Farry's constituency office in Bangor over his threat to increase tuition fees to as much as £9,000 per year. The protest has been backed by the President of Belfast Met Students' Union. Louise Meek (18) - Belfast Met SU President who supported today's protest said: "Unfortunately, a degree no longer guarantees a secure job with decent pay. With thousands of public sector jobs being wiped out by Stormont cuts, many graduates will face unemployment or poverty pay. Increasing tuition fees will freeze many from low and middle-income backgrounds out of third-level education, fearing…