+++ Eurosceptics trounced in Irish referendum +++
October 3rd, 2009 Posted in EU Politics by Mark Littlewood
The YES campaign is heading for a landslide victory in the Lisbon referendum – much, much higher than the 10% I was predicting.
Nigel Farage has just been on RTE calling for a third referendum, on the grounds that it’s now Yes 1 No 1. Guido Fawkes makes a similar point. But – as we all know – over two legs, you measure goal difference in the event of a tie. The Yes side win decisively on that score.
UPDATE 5.30pm – The final tally is 67.1% for the YES side – a landslide majority of more than 2:1
Tags: Irish referendum
October 3rd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
I’m sorry, I’m a bit dense. Can you please explain what is liberal about a European superstate to which the majority of countries have acceded without consulting their electorate, and in which a referendum that goes the wrong way is simply repeated until the voters get the right answer? Isn’t your position on this issue final proof that the statist SDP faction have achieved victory over the traditional individualist Liberal Party? Shouldn’t you just drop the term “Liberal”?
October 3rd, 2009 at 3:49 pm
European superstate? Don’t trot out the same old tired lines from the Tory/UKIP handbook. The way some of you want it you’d happily see us queuing up for passport stamps at the French border again.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Where did Farage say he wanted a third referendum? I only see the equally damning comparison with Zimbabwe.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Hold on a second. I am neither a Tory nor a UKIP member. Please address my comment rather than using tired old Labour ad hominem tactics. An argument is either logial or not – it is irrelevant who is making it, and the standard of debate in British politics would be a lot higher if more people accepted this.
By the way, how often do you get into a country, EU or not, without showing your passport? My son was recently prevented from boarding the Eurostar in Paris because he had left his passport in his hotel. You are living in a fantasy world.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:10 pm
@David. The actions of the EU have been a mixed bag. But, overall, the single market has been a fantastic liberalising measure.
Re: your son. He would not have had that problem if the UK had signed Schengen. He has the UK government to blame for his plight – not the EU.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:13 pm
I find Liberal Vision’s sympathy for the EU odd when other libertarianish organisations like the Libertarian Alliance are very much against.
Besides, if the Yes victory then leads to President Blair it will give British Euroscepticism a massive shot in the arm.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:15 pm
“But, overall, the single market has been a fantastic liberalising measure.”
If you accept that the EU has its defects, why not campaign for the UK to have a Mexico-style free-trade arrangement with the EU? We get access to EU markets but don’t have to put tariffs on foreign goods, don’t have to contribute to CAP, accept the social chapter etc. We would be free to join NAFTA as well.
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Yes Mark I agree that there have been many good things about the EU, although the single market can be viewed as group protectionism rather than liberalism. My point was a narrower one, about the deeply flawed process behind the new constitution. Both the UK and Irish governments’ handling of the issue have been reprehensible.
October 3rd, 2009 at 5:32 pm
@Richard. There’s a big difference between a single market and a free trade area. I favour the former – although much less regulated than at present. A free trade area doesn’t imply completely free and unrestricted movement of labour, goods, services and capital. If we want to sell into the EU market (which obviously we do, it dwarves any other market we trade with), we would need to abide by single market rules and regulations (on health and safety standards, exact nature of fruit curvature etc). So, I’m keen for us to have a seat round the table in determining what these regulations are (and preferably seek to abolish a lot of them).
@David. I wouldn’t argue that the Lisbon treaty has been well handled (particularly the denial of a referendum, when the treaty is pretty much identical to the proposed constituion).
October 3rd, 2009 at 5:36 pm
@John. Farage said it on RTE – half tongue in cheek, I think.
October 3rd, 2009 at 8:48 pm
I just feel a Dr Stranglove moment coming on, how I learned to stop worrying and love the EU.
October 3rd, 2009 at 9:54 pm
@Dave – check out this superb pamphlet if you can get a copy
http://www.loot.co.za/shop/main.jsp?page=detail&id=6149108082928
I’ll even sign it for you…
October 5th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
@Richard: A Mexico-style free trade area might mean that British truck drivers would be banned from driving in France – precisely what happened to Mexican truck drivers: http://www.economist.com/world/americas/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13331117
In fact NAFTA does not allow fully free trade in all areas, just a gradual movement towards abolition of trade barriers. I stress the word “gradual”. The advantage of an EU style single market is that all (political) trade barriers are removed.
@Nigel Farage: now who is it who wants to keep having referenda until the people make the “right” choice?