Right2Change is a political campaign that arose from the

Right2Water Right2Water is a campaign to commit the European Union and member states to implement the human right to water and sanitation. It has three stated goals: # Guaranteed water and sanitation for all in Europe. # No liberalisation of water services. ...

campaign in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, built around a document called "Policy Principles for a Progressive Irish Government". The principles centre on areas like health, housing, jobs education and dealing with debt. The principles are the outcome of an extensive consultation process between individuals, community groups, trade unionists, political parties and independent representatives – all of whom have been involved in the campaigning against

Irish Water ''Uisce Éireann'', formerly and commonly known as Irish Water, is a state-owned water utility company in Ireland. It was created by the Irish Government through the Water Services Act 2013, which formally created the company as a subsidiary of ...

's introduction of water charges in Ireland. The aim of the supporters of the principles is to campaign against the "right-wing consensus" that has dominated Irish politics and eventually form a left-wing government. The trade unions involved are set to give their support to election candidates if they sign up to the movement's policies. Country-wide meetings to discuss the campaign started in September 2015. The campaign is supported by trade unions

Unite the Union Unite the Union, commonly known as Unite, is a British and Irish trade union which was formed on 1 May 2007 by the merger of Amicus and the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU). Unite is the second largest trade union in the UK (afte ...

, the Communication Workers Union, and Mandate. The Civil and Public Services Union withdrew their support. Political groups supporting the campaign are the Communist Party of Ireland, Direct Democracy Ireland, the

People Before Profit Alliance People Before Profit ( ga, Pobal Roimh Bhrabús, PBP) is a left-wing to far-left Trotskyist political party formed in October 2005. It is active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. History PBP was established in 2005 as ...

Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur G ...

, Workers and Unemployed Action and well as

Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primeti ...

Clare Daly Clare Daly (born 16 April 1968) is an Irish politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the Dublin constituency since July 2019. She is a member of Independents 4 Change, part of The Left in the European P ...

Thomas Pringle Thomas Pringle (5 January 1789 – 5 December 1834) was a Scottish writer, poet and abolitionist. Known as the father of South African poetry, he was the first successful English language poet and author to describe South Africa's scenery, nati ...

, Tommy Broughan and

Mick Wallace Michael Wallace (born 9 November 1955) is an Irish politician and former property developer who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the South constituency since July 2019. He is a member of Independents 4 Change, ...

. The Anti-Austerity Alliance/

Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of t ...

did not sign up, its representative

Ruth Coppinger Ruth Coppinger (born 18 April 1967) is an Irish politician and member of the Socialist Party. She was elected as a Teachta Dála (TD) in the Dublin West constituency in 2014. In the 2016 general election, she ran as a candidate for Anti-Aust ...

accusing Sinn Féin of using the Right2Change campaign to further the party’s agenda. 32 Right2Change candidates were elected in the 2016 general election including the 23

members, four Independents 4 Change members (Wallace, Daly, Collins and Broughan), three

members (

Richard Boyd Barrett Richard Boyd Barrett (born 6 February 1967) is an Irish People Before Profit/Solidarity politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dún Laoghaire constituency since the 2011 general election. Boyd Barrett is a former member of Dún ...

Bríd Smith Bríd Smith (born 18 September 1961) is an Irish People Before Profit–Solidarity politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South-Central constituency since the 2016 general election. In 2001, she was an ATGWU shop steward ...

and Gino Kenny) along with

Séamus Healy Séamus Healy (; born 9 August 1950) is a former Irish Independent politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 2000 to 2007 and 2011 to 2020. He is part of the Clonmel-based Workers and Unemployed Action (WUA) which had a number of loc ...

( WUA) and the independent Thomas Pringle.

References

2016 Irish general election Political organisations based in the Republic of Ireland Water supply and sanitation in the Republic of Ireland {{Ireland-stub