Editorial

Abstract

In the Local Elections in the North on 2 May People Before Profit, who the Irish Marxist Review supports, made a major breakthrough increasing its representation from 1 councillor to 5. In the Local Elections in the South on 24May People Before Profit experienced a setback, losing 4 seats and gaining 1, so that our total went from 10 to 7 seats. Across the 32 counties we increased from 11 seats overall to 12.Viewed from above, as the mainstream media see things, the main story in the North is that the election shows a limited erosion of the ‘hard border’ between unionism and nationalism. The Alliance Party increased its seats from 32 in2014 to 53 and its vote from 41,769to 77,742; some of this may be due to ‘remain’ unionists voting Alliance and some of it to frustration at the non-functioning of Stormont. The Greens increased their seats from 4 to 8 and their vote 5,515 to 14,284. Doubtless this is part of the international green tide.