By appearing to bully the voters, EU politicians are actually driving lots more people into the no camp. EU leaders who are trying to force Ireland to vote again are playing a very dangerous game.**
Brian Cowen and his Fianna Fáil-led government will suffer a Gordon Brown-style electoral meltdown if they hold a second referendum on the EU’s Lisbon reform treaty, a poll warns today.
More than half of those asked said they would be less likely to vote for Cowen and his party in an Irish general election if he decided to re-run the referendum, which resulted in the plans for Europe being decisively rejected by the Irish last month.
The news will come as a major blow to ministers. Senior Irish government sources have been hinting, both before and after French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to Dublin last week, that a new referendum could be held in March next year.
According to today’s survey, which was carried out by the established polling organisation Red C poll, 71 per cent of voters are opposed to holding a second vote. Moreover, 62 per cent said they would vote ‘no’ in a second referendum compared to only 24 per cent who are in favour. Back in June, 38 per cent of the Irish electorate backed the treaty.
** It is our opinion the Irish voters have spoken: they do NOT wish to be a part of the EU collective.–Ed.