LEFT-wing TD Paul Murphy has launched a new political group to be known as RISE in the wake of his split from the Socialist Party.

The group’s name stands for Radical, Internationalist, Socialist and Environmentalist.

One of its key priorities is to prepare and launch a ‘Green New Deal’ with socialist policies for Ireland.

The goal of the plan is to develop free, green public transport, a green jobs programmer and four-day working week, a rapid transition to renewable energy and the creation of a sustainable model of agriculture as part of the fight against climate change.

Dublin South-West TD Paul Murphy’s surprise departure from the Socialist Party marks a further fracture in left-wing politics and comes amid disagreement in the Socialist Party over the extent to which it should work with other left-leaning parties such as Sinn Féin and the Greens as well as broader left-wing campaigns.

Mr Murphy – a key figure in the anti-water charges movement – favours working more closely with these parties and movements, but this is opposed by the majority of Socialist/Solidarity members.

Speaking at the launch of RISE he pointed to the four million people who took to the streets around the world to protest for climate action in recent weeks.

He said he believes it’s necessary for Socialists to participate in movements even when they don’t agree with everything other protesting groups stand for.

A statement from the new political grouping said RISE members “recognize that division among the left can be demoralising for working class people who rightly want to see maximum unity against the right wing parties and their policies”.

“Although no longer part of the Socialist Party, we are committed to co-operating with the Socialist Party and others on the left”.

Mr Murphy will remain part of the Solidarity-People Before Profit group in the Dáil.

He said Rise won’t be a political party.

It will register with the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) as a ‘third party’.

It will remain as part of Solidarity-People Before Profit but will be a separate accounting unit for the purposes of declarations to Sipo.

Mr Murphy confirmed he is the only elected representative who is a member of RISE.

• Read more: Eilis O’Hanlon: ‘The launch of a new socialist party is the laugh that we all needed in worrying times’

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