Socialist Voice Review
March 2026
There are two thoughtful and interesting articles on the trade union movement in the March edition of Socialist Voice.
Concentrating on one, Unions and Industrial Strategy, Niall Cullinane states: “Rather than demanding the unions be “radical”, the Communist attitude to the union movement must be to work within the structures that present themselves and, confronting immediate pressures noted above, instil confidence among members that those of the Communist outlook are the most reliable and best representatives of labour’s concerns on terms, conditions and usage of labour power.”
This analysis was, and largely remains, true. However, as we have pointed out many times, some of the current CPI leaders and activists who are also active in their trade unions sullied not just their personal reputations but recklessly wiped out a proud history built by generations of communist dedication to promoting democracy, political awareness, and communist integrity into the trade union movement.
Secret trials, trials without terms of reference, no appeals, flaunting of rules and constitutions, abuse of established trade union procedures and mechanisms and failure to investigate claims of bullying against the party and its leadership were shamelessly employed to protect these great warriors from any possibility that they might have to engage in rational debate within the party!
Worse still, years after those events, not a single claim has been corrected or refuted. Communists have hard enough of a time – at the best of times – to be heard in their own right. Destroying the foundations on which they worked, and utilised to help them make any case, is not something we should either excuse or forget about.
Cullinane goes further: “Unions must remain the primary non-party sphere of activity for communists, since they are the only existing institutions in our societies where workers come together collectively”. Indeed. But, who will trust a bunch of so-called communists and so-called trade unionists who tell you that you have no rights as soon as they achieve a little bit of ‘power’? See: When it all goes wrong
Eugene McCartan in The Struggle to Maintain and Build Our Neutrality Heats Up is at it again: “We need to continue to build the forces to push the government back.“
“To defend the Triple Lock. The Irish ruling class—political, economic, military and the upper echelons of the state—are committed to ending neutrality and emasculating this state within EU/NATO military strategies.”
Who is we? And how? How? How? How is any of this to be done?
Mary Murray – Reformism and Liberalism – clearly and successfully calls out reformism and liberalism for the cancers they are. In this case she is referring to the treatment of patients outside of the northern NHS system: “The deliberate lack of funding of the NHS is covered up with the grand name of: The Waiting List Reimbursement Scheme! In the article, [in the Irish Post]this reformist, short-term solution is even portrayed as a success, in that a tiny fraction of the thousands on waiting lists get to pay for their treatment outside of the North, even though they are reimbursed at a later stage. And this ‘scheme’ is undoubtedly seen, by far too many people, as better than nothing. That is—be grateful for small mercies—is the implied thinking.”
She continues: “In a 500+ word article there is no mention of what the root cause actually is.”
Once again, the conclusion is a little problematic: “As revolutionary activists, we have to guard against—not alone the omission of accurate revolutionary language—but also guard against the insipid language of liberalism and reformism clearly on display in this article. And it is everywhere in the lives of the population, trying to exist and navigate the swamp of just living. All the more reason we need to embed ourselves in the actions and lives of the people out there.”
The reasoning is perfect but again the last line leaves us out in the wilderness we are so familiar with in Socialist Voice – most people have some idea what is wrong but most people have no idea how to do anything about it. Socialist Voice specialises in leaving us no wiser.
Jimmy Corcoran is eager to impress us with his knowledge and in doing so exposes his isolation from ordinary working people: Is International Law Progressive, Reactionary or Neutral? It is all very well using abbreviations and acronyms within specialised circles but…. wait a minute, that is exactly what he is doing – he is within his specialised area, the bubble that comprises the CPI.
How many people know what the RSFSR? was: “Following the October Socialist Revolution, the RSFSR adopted the following definition:”
Or, how many workers know what the KKE is?: “As the KKE correctly stated at its recent Congress, the overthrow of the USSR has had a negative effect on the UN.” Indeed, many workers will be stumped even by the USSR.
[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)]
Then comes another “must”: “We must engage with international law to resist imperialism and protect popular gains; and further, we must mobilise to overthrow the capitalist system that produces imperialist law. The goal is not a more just international law within capitalism, but the abolition of the class relations that make law, in its current form, necessary.”
How? How? How? How is any of this to be achieved? Where would anybody start? What role will the CPI play in tackling all these worthy “musts”? At some point, the CPI will have to come up with some hint of where to start.
Corcoran would do well to familiarise himself with some national laws, particularly labour laws and standards, before lecturing on international law.
Actually, a man who participated in secret trials, trials without terms of reference, or appeal processes, etc, against members of his own party and who even refused to investigate charges of alleged bullying within the party, all the while usurping the party Constitution, should really keep his head low rather than opening himself up to predictable ridicule and exposure. Seeking refuge behind his “Marxist understanding”, as we see, offered him no protection.
Returning to international law, Corcoran states: “Opposition to the genocide in Palestine, the embargo on Cuba, and the kidnapping of Venezuela’s President Maduro can be mobilised around the universalism of the UN Charter.” “EMBARGO” on Cuba? In our previous post on the state of Socialist Voice, we acknowledged the strong solidarity from the CPI towards Cuba.
Now, we have the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Ireland casually and thoughtlessly refer to the “embargo” against Cuba.
Words matter, Jimmy. Especially, when uttered by a party leader. They tell us so much.
There are two China related articles and the difference between them is stark: The Fracture in American Power: Empire in Transition by Eoghan O’Neill reads like it should be in a theoretical publication while From the Rebel County to the People’s Republic: “In China, Things Get Done” reads like something that could be in HELLO magazine.
O’Neill’s article is a serious look at some of the challenges facing both the US and China and the future of relations between the two among other issues. The problem is that it takes him too long to tell us too little and paradoxically, to tell us too much also. We will return to this paradox later, but, first, here is an extract from “In China, Things Get Done”: “The sheer size is the number one thing,” James explained. “Beijing’s administrative region is the size of Munster in Ireland. The convenience of Beijing is insane. Everything can be delivered to your door, from a new kitchen chair to a coffee, within about 30 minutes.”
No doubt this is true but at what cost – and we mean what cost to the corps of delivery workers? Various reports suggest that all is not well in this ‘sector’ in China no more than they are in Munster. Sure, things get done but if there is little difference in how they get done in Munster or in Beijing, that is hardly much to write home about.
China is a complex issue for so many reasons. It is under attack yet it also is on the attack in many areas such as foreign investment, over production, environmental concerns, etc.
There is a lot to learn and a lot to be revealed to provide a reasoned objective overview that will allow communists and others to understand the various complexities.
The record of Socialist Voice in providing such analysis is not good and its cosy relationship with the Communist Party of China is a double-edged sword. Still, we live in hope that the child-like infatuation of the Gearóid Ó Machail – Love letter to China – will not be repeated and that more serious commentators take up the challenge.
Finally, a glance at the CPI website: And, that’s all it takes. One update since 12 December 2025. Ní Saoirse go Saoirse na mBan! was posted on 8 March 2026 – that is, three months without an update. By the date of this posting -24 March – there has been no further update. Considering that most of the site is between five and fifteen years out of date it would be better is the site did not exist at all.
Even this latest post is embarrassing:
“In Ireland, the Communist Party of Ireland has identified housing, healthcare, and neutrality as three core issues that disproportionately affect women.”
And? Having identified these core issues, what did, or has the CPI done to address the core issues of the disproportionately affected women? It’s beyond embarrassing.
We invite you to read the CPI publications in Socialist Voice and the party website where it will be revealed the CPI did precisely nothing or, at least, nothing it is prepared to share with the wider world.
Almost unbelievable.