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Aontú

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Aontú
LeaderPeadar Tóibín
Deputy leaderGemma Brolly
Founded28 January 2019; 5 years ago (2019-01-28)
Split fromSinn Féin
Headquarters8 Market Square, Navan, County Meath
Youth wingÓgra Aontú
Membership (2024)2,000[1]
Ideology
Political position
Slogan
  • Life
  • Unity
  • Economic Justice
Dáil Éireann
2 / 174
Local government in the Republic of Ireland
8 / 949
Website
aontu.ie
Aontú's 2024 Ardfheis in County Kildare

Aontú (Irish: [ˈeːn̪ˠt̪ˠuː];[5] "Unity")[n 1] is a conservative[11][12] Irish republican[2] political party that operates in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.[13] It has been led by Peadar Tóibín since its foundation in January 2019.[14] The party holds socially conservative positions, with a significant policy being opposition to abortion.[3][9] Tóibín has described Aontú as economically centre-left,[15] though the party has also been described as right-wing.[16][17]

History

[edit]

The party was founded by Peadar Tóibín, a TD who resigned from Sinn Féin on 15 November 2018 due to his anti-abortion views after opposing the party whip on the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018.[18][19] Tóibín began canvassing elected representatives, securing support within a week from two local councillors in the Republic.[20] Tóibín held meetings across the island addressing interested potential members. The first Northern Ireland local councillor declared on 7 January 2019.[21] As of 28 January 2019 eight councillors had joined.[22] A second councillor in Northern Ireland joined on 26 February 2019.[23]

The name "Aontú" was announced at a meeting in Belfast on 28 January 2019.[24] The Meath Chronicle said that the announcement of the name was precipitated by its unexpected publication on the UK Electoral Commission website.[10] Tóibín said the party had sought registration in both jurisdictions, that "Aontú obviously means unity and our major objective is the unity of Irish people north and south".[25] He recalled that Belfast was the birthplace of the United Irishmen of 1798.[26] Aontú would "seek to build an all-Ireland economy to mitigate the worst effects of Brexit, economic justice for all and to protect the right to life."[14][9] Tóibín said he was talking with Sinn Féin, SDLP, and independent representatives in Northern Ireland,[27] and that "people from Sinn Féin, SDLP and Fianna Fáil backgrounds would feel comfortable" in the party.[25]

Following its foundation in January of that year, Aontú contested the Northern Ireland local elections in May 2019. The party, which nominated 16 candidates,[28] won one seat on Derry and Strabane Council, with its two outgoing councillors losing their seats.[29] Several months after the election, a councillor for the SDLP in Mid Ulster joined Aontú.[30] Later in May 2019, the party put forward 53 candidates in the 2019 local elections in the Republic Ireland, including its seven sitting councillors. Three were elected.[31] Of the four Dáil by-elections held in November 2019, Aontú contested two. Finian Toomey came 7th in the 2019 Cork North-Central by-election with 1,008 votes (3.9%),[32] and Jim Codd came 6th in the 2019 Wexford by-election with 2,102 votes (5.2%).[33] Aontú contested seven seats in the 2019 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland. The party, which received 9,814 votes (1.2%), won none of these seats.[34]

Aontú fielded 25 candidates in the 2020 Irish general election, including leader Peadar Tóibín (Meath West), deputy leader Anne McCloskey (Sligo-Leitrim) and a number of sitting local councillors.[35] Tóibín was the only successful candidate. As Tóibín was not invited to participate in a televised debate alongside the leaders of other parties, the party threatened a High Court action against RTÉ. The party, however, did not proceed with the action noting that there "was not enough time to have the action heard" before the debate.[36] In the 2020 Seanad election, Paul Lawless contested the Cultural and Educational Panel receiving 2.6% of votes.[37]

In September 2020, Aontú's then deputy leader Anne McCloskey came under criticism for her comments about the effectiveness of masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, with party leader Peadar Tóibín defending her right to her view on the topic.[38] McCloskey stepped down as a councillor in October 2020, and was replaced by party member Emmet Doyle.[39][40] She was replaced as deputy leader by Denise Mullen. At the 2022 Ard Fheis, Mullen stepped down from the position of deputy leader and was replaced by Gemma Brolly, Aontú candidate for East Londonderry at the May 2022 Assembly election.

In November 2020, the Standards in Public Office Commission announced that Aontú were one of five political parties who failed to provide them with a set of audited accounts for 2019, in breach of statutory obligations.[41] In response, Aontú released a statement claiming that they had submitted the account statements and apologising for the delay, citing the COVID-19 pandemic.[42]

Mairéad Tóibín unsuccessfully contested the 2021 Dublin Bay South by-election, coming 9th with 740 first preference votes (2.8%).[43]

Aontú fielded 12 candidates in the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election.[44] None of its candidates were elected, with the party coming in eighth place with 12,777 first preference votes (1.5%).[45] The party also contested the 2023 Northern Ireland local elections. None of Aontú's 19 candidates were elected, with their incumbent councillor in Derry City and Strabane District Council losing his seat.[46]

In 2024, the party campaigned for No votes in the 2024 Irish constitutional referendums; Both referendums were overwhelmingly defeated.[47][48] Aontú later ran 66 candidates in the 2024 Irish local elections, securing 8 council seats. It also fielded candidates in three constituencies for the 2024 European Parliament elections: Peadar Tóibín in Midlands North West, Patrick Murphy in Ireland South and Aisling Considine in Dublin. None were elected.[49][50][51] Sarah Beasley also ran, unsuccessfully, as the Aontú candidate in the 2024 Limerick mayoral election.[52] In the 2024 Westminster election in Northern Ireland, Aontú stood in 10 of 18 constituencies,[53] winning no seats from 7,466 votes (1.0% of the total).[54]

Ideology and platform

[edit]
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Ideology

[edit]

Party founder and leader Peadar Tóibín has described Aontú as left of centre economically while "socially conservative".[55][56][57] In 2019, the party was described by the unionist Belfast News Letter as "Catholic conservative",[58] and by The Times as "socially conservative",[3] while Harry McGee described its ideology as "rural conservatism and traditionalism".[59] In 2020, David Quinn of The Sunday Times called Aontú "a pro-life centre-left party".[60] In 2024, Politico and The Connaught Telegraph described Aontú as "right wing",[16][17] and The Irish Times said it had "positions that lean both left and right".[61] The European Center for Populism Studies described it as populist and "on the right",[62] while Eoin O'Malley, a political science professor at Dublin City University, concurs that Aontú is populist and socially right wing, although he views their economics as left-wing.[63]

Social views

[edit]

Aontú is anti-abortion, a stance which Tóibín has described as a "core value" of the party.[9][64][65] In 2023, Tóibín introduced a bill in the Dáil Éireann to prevent transgender female prisoners from being placed into women's prisons[66] and expressed opposition to sexually explicit material being taught to children in schools.[67] Aontú opposed a 2024 proposed expansion of hate speech laws on the grounds that it amounted to censorship.[68] The party has supported a proposed enquiry into the Irish government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.[69]

Immigration

[edit]

The Phoenix has described Tóibín and Aontú as possessing a "strong rightward stance" on immigration[70] while Gerald Howlin of the Irish Examiner has described Tóibín's views on immigration as "nativist".[71] The party advocates for an immigration policy that is "stricter" and "sustainable", while also containing "compassion and common sense".[61][72][73] In 2021, deputy leader Denise Mullen called for Ireland to offer help during the Afghan refugee crisis.[74] Tóibín supports an "Irish Sea border in terms of people", where asylum seekers who arrive in Northern Ireland would be subject to the same passport controls as at Irish airports and ports.[61] Aontú has called for a greater level of public consultation on immigration.[61][75] The party opposed the 2024 EU Asylum and Migration Pact.[76]

Foreign policy

[edit]

Aontú is broadly Eurosceptic, opposing European federalism and a European army.[4][19][77] The party supports a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestine conflict.[78]

Economics

[edit]

The party holds left-leaning views on economics and climate change.[79][better source needed] As of early 2020, the party's published policies included proposals for a united Ireland, a referendum on a "right to collective bargaining and trade union membership",[80] an end to zero hours contracts,[80] and increased state spending on public housing.[81] Their site states Ireland should model itself on the "best practice in Scandinavian countries".[80] In their 2021 budget submission, they called on changes to the state pension scheme, reducing Leap Card fares and increasing the Banking Levy.[82] Aontú supports the building of a "new international city" in a different part of the country from Dublin.[83]

Irish republicanism

[edit]

While Aontú was founded in a split from Sinn Féin, Aontú members and elected representatives come from different political backgrounds: two councillors were former members of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, one councillor was a former member of Fianna Fáil, and two other councillors never held political office prior to joining Aontú.[84][85][86][87] The party retains the ideology of Irish republicanism,[88] and related policies; for example, Aontú maintains a policy of abstentionism, which means that while it runs candidates in Northern Ireland in British general elections, should an Aontú candidate be elected, they would not take up their seat in the British parliament.[89]

The Irish Catholic editor Michael Kelly believed the party could "capitalise" on the "abandon[ment] [of] many of the values that were key to a largely Catholic electorate in the North" by "the traditional parties of nationalism".[90]

Representatives

[edit]

The party has two representatives, TDs Peadar Tóibín and Paul Lawless, at national level (in Dáil Éireann).

As of June 2024, Aontú has eight sitting representatives at local level, all of whom are county councillors in the Republic of Ireland.[91][92]

Leadership

[edit]

Party leader

[edit]

The following are the terms of office as party leader.

Name Portrait Period Constituency
Peadar Tóibín
Peadar Tóibín 2019 (headshot).jpg
 2019 – present Meath West

Election results

[edit]

Dáil Éireann

[edit]
Election Leader 1st pref
votes 		% Seats ± Government
2020[93] Peadar Tóibín 41,575 1.9 (#8)
1 / 160
 Opposition
2024 Peadar Tóibín 86,134 3.9 (#6)
2 / 174
 Opposition

Northern Ireland Assembly

[edit]
Election Leader 1st pref
votes 		% Seats ± Government
2022[94] Peadar Tóibín 12,777 1.5 (#8)
0 / 90
 No seats

Westminster elections

[edit]
Election Leader Votes % Seats (in NI) ±
NI UK
2019 Peadar Tóibín 9,814 1.2 (#6) <0.1
0 / 18
2024 7,466 1.0 (#9) <0.1
0 / 18
 Steady

Local elections

[edit]
Election Country Seats
contested 		1st pref
votes 		% Seats
2019 Northern Ireland 16 7,459 1.1
1 / 462
2019 Republic of Ireland 51 25,660 1.5
3 / 949
2023 Northern Ireland 19 6,771 0.9
0 / 462
2024 Republic of Ireland 66 39,461 2.1
8 / 949

European Parliament

[edit]
Election Leader 1st pref
Votes 		% Seats +/− EP Group
2024 Peadar Tóibín 65,559 3.76 (#8)
0 / 14
 New −

Ógra Aontú

[edit]

Aontú's youth branch, Ógra Aontú, was formed in May 2020. Membership of the branch is open to Aontú members aged between 16 and 30.[95]

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ The Irish word aontú is the verbal noun of aontaigh, meaning "unite", "agree", "assent". The logo also colours the letters tú separately, forming the Irish word for "you" (singular).[6][7][8] Party founder Peadar Tóibín when announcing its name said it means "unity and consent".[9][10]

References

[edit]
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  2. ^ a b Breen, Suzanne (9 November 2019). "General Election 2019: Republican pro-life party Aontu out to give SF bloody nose in a number of seats". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b c O'Malley, Eoin (16 June 2019). "Eoin O'Malley: Sound the death knell for pro-life Renua". The Times. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  4. ^ a b Finn, Christina (21 November 2018). "Tóibín signs up two members to his new 'Euro-critical party' which aims to protect 'all human life'". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
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