The Full Hot Press Interview with Ruth Coppinger TD

Sex & Drugs
26 Sep 18

One of the leading voices of the Irish left, Ruth Coppinger was a powerful and articulate voice during the marriage equality and Repeal referenda. In a fascinating interview, the Dublin West TD says Leo Varadkar and Simon Harris were wrong to claim credit for the Repeal result, highlights the similarities between Varadkar and Donald Trump, and explains why the next major battleground will be the separation of Church and State. Elsewhere, she talks about enjoying marijuana, sexism in the Dáil and why she’s an atheist.

Ruth Coppinger burst onto the national political scene when – against the odds – she won the 2014 Dublin West by-election.

It is one of the toughest constituencies in the country. Other TDs in this four-seat include a certain Leo Varadkar and Joan Burton, who have held the two highest political posts in the country, as Taoiseach and Tánaiste.

A teacher by profession, Ruth started out politically working behind the scenes with the Socialist Party. Eventually, she replaced her party’s then most high profile member, Joe Higgins, on Fingal County Council in 2003. Step by step, since then, she had made impressive progress. Following her election to the Dáíl, she has become one of the leading voices on the Irish left. Under the co-operative Anti Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit banner, she has campaigned vociferously against the injustices of the capitalist system.