no 13 June 2008
There used to be a sign in the Tyrone Guthrie artists’ retreat above the recycling bins which read ‘if in doubt, it’s rubbish’ – good old rule of thumb for life, really, I think. So, Ireland voted NO to the Lisbon Treaty today and I commend that decision (as someone who would have cast my vote that way had I been here to exercise my democratic right – I was in London earning a crust as youse all know). Of course I say Treaty loosely as it was and is, in fact, a series of amendments to the basic European treaty to which so many countries have signed up. There are many reasons why Ireland voted NO and, for instance, the dogs on the street could have told all of the major parties that when they band together, particularly about Europe, everyone gets VERY suspicious and nervy. Anyhow I think it was about a lot more than that and it is certainly also time that the Eurocrats began to realise that they must communicate better with the great unwashed of the Union, of which I certainly am one. Make it possible to understand what you want us to vote on and we might be able to agree on stuff.
Interestingly we are unusual as a country in that we HAVE to have a referendum about such things and I love that and will defend that right to the end.
