Letters to the Irish independent "Ganley is Just a Thatcherite"

Declan Ganley is just a Thatcherite


Wednesday April 01 2009

For the life of me, I just cannot find any distinction between Declan Ganley's Libertas party and the foreign policy on European matters pursued by the British Tory Party.

In many ways, it appears to me that Declan Ganley's Libertas party is the Irish branch of the British Tory Party. In other words, Declan Ganley is the intellectual heir to Margaret Thatcher because his policy position on Europe, which is a valid viewpoint, is very similar to the political position on Europe which she held.

Declan Ganley has now also employed the services of Lynton Crosby as his campaign manager. Mr Crosby ran a number of different campaigns for the British Tories, not least the 2005 British general election campaign and the Boris Johnston London mayoral contest.

Being branded as the Irish branch of the Tory Party may not be what the electorate wants to hear in the republican and nationalist belts of the EU constituency of the North West.

The electorate of the North West constituency might not like to also hear that Declan Ganley is on the record as describing the Common Agricultural Policy as a weapon of mass destruction. Tens of thousands of farmers in this constituency and their families receive hundreds of millions of euro in payments under the Common Agricultural Policy every year.

Mr Ganley's message on the Common Agricultural Policy might even be a step too far for the Tory landed gentry in Britain who also receive many a queen's farthing under the Common Agricultural Policy.

Come on dear chappies and let the elections for the European Parliament commence.

Thomas Whelan
Ballybough, Dublin 3