Sir, – The Labour Party may not be alone in advocating the social democratic view, in believing in an economic development that is both fair and green, in campaigning for the removal of inequalities affecting either groups or individuals, and in seeing communities and not competing individuals.
It is different in that it recognises, to its cost, the necessity of defending these values by actually exercising power.
Recently, the Labour Party group on the Dublin Rathdown Council was alone in supporting a 10 per cent reduction in the local property tax, as against other councillors, including Sinn Féin, Green and other vocal voices of the left, who voted for the full 15 per cent reduction.
This decision will cost the council some €2.5 million in revenue and would have cost the average taxpayer €37. This decision means that there will be a reduction in council services.
The Labour Party stands for those who will be affected by those reduced services, knowing that the loss for the few is really a loss for all. So we don’t have to reinvent the wheel, we just learn to fail better. – Yours, etc,
NEAL LAMB,
Mount Merrion,
Co Dublin.