Ireland’s newest political party, the Farmers Alliance, is now a fully registered contender in Irish politics. Following approval from the Registrar of Political Parties last week, it will now have the opportunity to field candidates in local, national and European elections. Party leader Liam McLaughlin says the alliance already has 40 potential election candidates lined up, with plans to run more than 100 by the time polling stations open in the summer.

Although this is undoubtedly big news, the creation of a farmer-led party probably won’t come as a shock to anyone familiar with the plight of Ireland’s farmers, who have been under relentless attack from the government for quite some time. Many farmers feel they are being made to pay the price for their government’s delusional climate policies. …

For the past week or so, tens of thousands of farmers have also been out blocking roads across France, demanding that their government scrap punitive taxes and excessive green regulations. As in Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, these protests in France have also struck a chord with the public more broadly. As is clear to see, from Ballinrobe to Bonn, Beauvais to Breda, farmers are speaking up – and the people are listening.

[As a distant but interested observer, I have found it amazing that a country that fought for its independence and finally cast aside foreign domination after 700-plus years a century ago has so blithely submitted to EU dominance in the last 30 years. Ireland got some short-term economic benefit from that, but ever since has been just a pale version of Brussellian progressivism. Its socialism is one thing (a relic of their 1916 rebellion), but the abject surrender to foreign rule and lack of consideration of Irish interests such as its ag sector is breathtaking. I don’t know if the FA will be appreciably more market-based than Ireland’s other political parties, but an assertion of Irish sovereignty and independence from Brussels would at least be a step in the right direction. Erin go bragh! (As for my headline … IYKYK.) — Ed]