People Before Profit - Unless the people are Unionist.

People Before Profit - Unless the people are Unionist. 

West Belfast People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll has once again let the non sectarian, socialist mask of PBP slip with a public call for "mass civil disobedience" against a 'hard border'. What does he mean by "mass civil disobedience"? Is he threatening disturbances and public disorder which could resort in violence? Where does this fit with PBP's assertion of being a cross community party for all the working class? Unionist Truth Forum have been examining these 'bona-fides'.

At first glance this looks like fiery language over what is still very much a hypothetical situation. After all the Government of the United Kingdom and all political parties have stated that they have no desire to see a hard border between ourselves and the Republic of Ireland.  So what is the issue with Comrade Carroll and his apparatchiks? Quite clearly, the issue is PBP using none too veiled threats to help the Pan Nationalist quest for a regulatory customs 'back stop' in the Irish Sea which would effectively leave Northern Ireland in the EU Customs Union, thus the separation of Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK. Giving what the Pan Nationalist Alliance dream of, a so called United Ireland by the back door!

PBP giving notorious Irish Citizen Army slogan a milenniel rebranding

The PBP poster above may seem innocuous and sound enough from a non-sectarian perspective to the eye of some working class Unionists who PBP court for transfers every election. In reality this slogan is a modern day rebrandng of the notorious "We Serve Neither King Nor Kaiser" cry of the terrorist Irish Citizens Army which staged a failed rebellion in Dublin in 1916 leading to over 500 deaths while Irishmen, both Protestant and Catholic, were fighting and dying side by side in the trenches of the Western Front.

But let's get back to Gerry Carroll. Should we really be so surprised by such inflammatory language? This isn't the first time he has shown himself to be anything but non-sectarian. Pictured below are a selection of social media comments from Comrade Carroll dating back at least five years which sum up his attitude to the significant and diverse Orange and bands tradition within the Unionist community.

Gerry then goes on to give us his enlightened and considered opinion on PUL cultural expression, from a 'workers together' position (sic)..

Tovarich Carroll disagrees so that's that then! And what of those working class PUL constituents in North and West Belfast who are members of Loyal Orders, Bands or simply relations, friends and neighbours who enjoy coming out to enjoy watching a distinct aspect of their British-Ulster identity?

While the 'neither green or orange' mask may be slipping, it is incumbent upon the Unionist community, especially those working class areas of Belfast which have been cynically targeted by People Before Profit in the past come election time, to reject PBP at the ballot box. Use your vote wisely. There is choice on most ballot papers to place a 1 for a Unionist party or candidate whose manifesto reflects your views on education, social disadvantage and employment the most, then transfer to the other Unionist parties or independant Unionist candidate of your choice. Remember even the lowest transfer to Comrade Carroll and Co could see a Pan Nationalist gain at the expense of a Unionist seat.

For Gerry Carroll and his red (scratch it and sniff green) comrades, Unionist Truth Forum assures them the Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist community of this part of the United Kingdom have had worse than civil disobedience threatened to remove their Nationhood, all have failed. A jumped up little Republican Trot certainly causes us no concern.