[3][12][13] On 11 January 2011 it was reported that members of the Labour Party in Laois–Offaly had joined the ULA due to dissatisfaction with the selection convention for the general election.
[15] Bree had been involved in the talks about setting up the ULA in November 2010 however disagreements arose over the addition of other candidates such as Catherine Connolly in Galway West.
The United Left Alliance name did not appear on ballot papers for the 2011 general election, and candidates were listed under their individual parties or as non-party.
[3] They oppose public spending cuts and reductions in welfare and pay rates and have ruled out deals or coalitions with either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael – who they describe as "right wing parties".
[26] It was reported in April 2011 in the political magazine The Phoenix that the ULA was divided between the Socialist Party and the PBPA with "palpable tension between the two groups at their own weekly ULA meetings as well as at Technical Group gatherings, with BB [Richard Boyd Barret] and [Joe] Higgins barely speaking to each other unless required to conduct essential business.
A decision was taken by the Steering Committee and communicated to members in November 2011 to hold a national conference of the ULA in late January 2012.
[30] United Left Alliance TDs Richard Boyd Barrett, Joan Collins, Clare Daly and Joe Higgins opposed the imprisonment of County Offaly pensioner Teresa Treacy, jailed on 13 September 2011 for contempt of court after refusing access to her land for the construction of ESB power lines.
[32] The Socialist Party/ULA also unsuccessfully contested the Dublin West by-election securing 21.1% of the first preference vote, in third place behind Labour and Fianna Fáil.
[33] On 2 November 2011, Sinn Féin and United Left Alliance TDs walked out of the Dáil in protest against the government's decision not to hold a debate on the payment of more than €700 million to Anglo Irish Bank bondholders.
[42] The ULA and Socialist Party stated at the time that the story was a "manufactured controversy" and part of a "vindictive smear campaign by Independent Newspapers".
Seamus Healy, WUAG TD, immediately called for Wallace to resign his seat, describing his behaviour as "completely and absolutely wrong and unacceptable".
[49] On 8 October 2012 Daly appeared on the Tonight with Vincent Browne programme on TV3 and was questioned on her reasons for resigning from the Socialist Party.
[6] The party stated that it had a commitment to "tax equity and defence of public services" which could more effectively be campaigned for outside the United Left Alliance.
The statement also cited concerns over "factional activity" by the Socialist Workers Party, which it claimed was attempting to boost its own membership at the expense of the ULA.