'Irexit' group seeking to register as political party in Ireland

''Irexit Freedom'  is the name Hermann Kelly from County Derry intends to call a new eurosceptic political party in Ireland. Around 300 people attended a conference held in a Dublin hotel yesterday where a case was put forward for Ireland leaving the European Union. The plan is to now seek 300 registered voters and register 'Irexit Freedom' as a political party. They want to field candidates in the European elections and then in national elections. The draft political programme for the party states that "an exit from the EU would permit the Irish people to take back control" of citizenship, currency, immigration, sea-fisheries and trade, among other things.

'Irexit Freedom' is positioning itself as patriotic party and its programme also pledges support for a "reunited and independent Ireland under the control of the Irish people and not that of either London or Brussels". It also calls for protection of the Irish language. Many political observers have expressed doubt on how successful the new party will be. The European Union is viewed in a positive light by many in Ireland. At the same time, the main nationalist political parties in the Celtic nations are progressive and left leaning in nature. However, it would be unwise to dismiss emerging political parties from the right of politics. Across Europe there have been significant electoral gains for eurosceptic and anti refugee and migrant political parties. The latest being the predicted advances for the Sweden Democrats in today's Swedish general election, who have focused their campaign on refugees and migrants. So the emergence of a new 'patriotic' party in Ireland should not be dismissed out of hand. Others across Europe have made that mistake. The issues raised by such political parties as 'Irexit Freedom', have to be answered clearly and their proposed policies held up to scrutiny.