Independents 4 Change
Neamhspleáigh ar son an Athraithe[1]
Founded2014 (2014)
Headquarters21 Elmwood Drive, Swords, Dublin
IdeologySocialism[2]
Political positionLeft-wing
European Parliament groupThe Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL
Local government
3 / 949
European Parliament
2 / 13

Independents 4 Change[3] (Irish: Neamhspleáigh ar son an Athraithe) is a left-wing Irish political party.

History

The political grouping registered as a political party since 2014.[4] It was previously known as Independents for Equality Movement.

The party adopted its current name in September 2015, after the establishment of the Right2Change electoral alliance, which its candidates in the 2016 general election subscribed.

Within the 32nd Dáil, I4C took advantage of revised Dáil standing orders to form their own technical group, which also included three Independent TDs who were not members of the party itself: Catherine Connolly, Thomas Pringle, and Maureen O'Sullivan.[5][6][7]

Tommy Broughan left the party on 26 July 2016.[8][failed verification]

In 2016 Ruth Nolan, a member of South Dublin County Council for Lucan who had been elected for People Before Profit, joined Independents 4 Change.[citation needed]

In May 2020, Joan Collins left I4C to found a new party called Right to Change, leaving the party with no TDs.[9]

Electoral history

Four candidates contested the 2014 local elections for the group in each of the local electoral areas in Wexford County Council.[10] None of them were elected.

Mick Wallace,[11] Clare Daly,[11] Joan Collins,[12] and Tommy Broughan,[13] and councillor Barry Martin[11] contested the 2016 general election for Independents 4 Change, with Broughan, Collins, Daly and Wallace being elected.

At the 2019 European Parliament election, Clare Daly and Mick Wallace were elected as MEPs; they became part of The Left group in the European Parliament as did the Sinn Féin MEP Matt Carthy. Three councilors were elected for Independents 4 Change in the local elections held on the same day, including former Labour TD from Sligo, and longtime Independent Socialist councillor Declan Bree.

In the 2020 general election, Independents 4 Change returned one TD, Joan Collins in Dublin South-Central.

General elections

Election Seats won ± Position First pref. votes % Government
2016
4 / 158
 Increase 4 Steady 6th 31,365 1.5% Fine Gael – Independents
with Fianna Fáil confidence & supply
2020
1 / 160
 Decrease 3 Decrease 9th 8,421 0.4% Fianna Fáil – Fine Gael – Green Party

Local elections

Election Seats won ± First pref. votes %
2014
0 / 949
 Steady 1,828 0.1%
2019
3 / 949
 Increase 3 8,626 0.5%

European elections

Election Seats won ± First pref. votes %
2019
2 / 13
 Increase 2 124,085 7.4%

References

  1. ^ "Order Paper" (PDF). Dáil Éireann. 10 May 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2018.
  2. ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2020). "Ireland". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Register of Political Parties" (PDF). The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties. 16 October 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  4. ^ "Iris Oifigiúil, 14th March 2014" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  5. ^ Mick Wallace (14 April 2016). "Housing Issues: Statements". Dáil Debates. Oireachtas. 14 April 2016. p. 39. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016.
  6. ^ "Dáil Éireann Members' Directory - 32nd Dáil - Independents 4 Change". Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  7. ^ Bardon, Sarah (1 June 2016). "Ministers told they must seek permission to miss Dáil votes over 'delicate voting situation'". The Irish Times. Dublin. ISSN 0791-5144. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  8. ^ "Independents 4 Change members of the 32nd Dáil". Oireachtas Members Database. 6 April 2018. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  9. ^ McCarthy, Justine (31 May 2020). "Dublin TD Joan Collins leaves I4C to found new party Right to Change". The Times. Archived from the original on 25 June 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Non Party/Independent candidates for the 2014 Local Elections". Adrian Kavanagh – Irish Elections: Geography, Facts and Analyses. 2 July 2013. Archived from the original on 20 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  11. ^ a b c "Independents 4 Change". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  12. ^ "Joan Collins". Election 2016. RTÉ.ie. February 2016. Archived from the original on 9 February 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  13. ^ "Tommy Broughan". Election 2016. RTÉ.ie. February 2016. Archived from the original on 9 February 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2016.


Categories