Jeremy Corbyn responded to Theresa May’s offer to resign in exchange for Conservative votes for her deal by accusing her of prioritising her party’s future over ‘public interest’. It has helped restore genuine interest in the original meaning of ‘public interest’, or public well-being as a political responsibility. Tasc has published four reports over the past 18 months that show clearly that public interest is not a political priority here either. Unfortunately, our political leaders, it would seem, have not yet learned the most important lesson from Brexit – that the public interest must be protected if a functioning and trusted democracy is to be sustained. Over the course of the Brexit debate, Irish political leaders and commentators have referred to the success of the Citizens’ Assembly as a progressive mechanism for confronting and resolving contentious issues.

Source: The Irish Times April 02, 2019 23:37 UTC