The 'No's are sneaking it in Ireland
Ruth Dudley Edwards 11:40am
[Many thanks to Ruth Dudley Edwards, who'll be covering the Irish referendum for Coffee House over the next few days. Here's her first post - Pete Hoskin]
I haven’t seen so many confusing posters since Beirut in the early 1990s. They are layered on every lamppost in Dublin. The Yes lobby’s contributions are pious and vacuous and unwisely have photographs of politicians – an unpopular group at the moment. ‘Europe. Let’s be at the heart of it’ urges the Fine Gael offering, which features the EPP-ED cute little logo of stars inside a heart. ‘Good for Ireland Good for Europe’ say Fianna Fail. ‘Vote Yes for jobs, the economy and Ireland’s future’ beg the Irish Business and Employers Federation.
The No stuff is much more fun, emanating as it does from innumerable mostly obscure groups many of which hate each other: Sinn Fein (‘People died for your freedom. Don’t throw it away’) and the capitalist-backed Libertas (‘Keep Ireland strong in Europe. Vote No) are on non-speaks. The messages are pitched at a wide range of constituencies: ‘Lisbon It’ll cost you’; ‘Follow the French and Dutch. Vote No’, and my favourite, which features three monkeys: ‘The new EU – won’t see you, won’t hear you, won’t speak to you’. An unnamed taxpayer has funded newspaper advertisements denouncing the treaty as ‘God-excluding foolish Freemason determined’
After a period of mutual recrimination about who was working hardest on the Yes campaign, the three uncharismatic leaders of the biggest parties appeared together to plead with the Irish voters not to be making a holy God’s show of themselves by voting No. European politicians have counter-productively threatened dire consequences if the vote is lost. The passion and energy are mostly on the No side - although I met a Yes enthusiast last night who alleged furiously that Libertas were funded by American neo-cons.
It’s largely a class thing. The posh are pro and those in fear of bad times are anti. If – as looks likely – it’s a No, it’ll be the politicians wot lost it.
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Comments
London Calling
June 11th, 2008 12:20pmA contribution from my O’Neil
clan would be a poster saying...
Irelands Green...But not that Green…
Yes,Yes,Yes,Yes,...mmmmm No!!
Europe Who?
:0 :)
Chris
June 11th, 2008 12:28pmA curious position to be in - I find myself in complete agreement with Sinn fein on this. Irish independence was hard won - why on earth would Ireland concede it now?
Austin Barry
June 11th, 2008 1:06pmThe bullying of the electorate by the ruling elites, lead by Brian Cowen, our thuggish Quasimodo of a Taoiseach (come back Bertie all is forgiven) has bordered on the absurd, implying that a "no" vote will lead to Ireland becoming a failed state akin to Zimbabwe or Somalia, and that we would have to ring a leper's bell in all our future dealings with the EU. Utter nonsense, but no doubt our politicians are anxious to keep their snouts rooting in the EU's public coffers.
John
June 11th, 2008 1:08pmAnd we in England could take a leaf out of their book and promise to vote against every politician who is against English freedoms.
Ray
June 11th, 2008 1:27pmApropos Chris, the independence of our own chunk of the British isles has been no less hard won - 1588, 1688, 1805, 1914, 1940. We should be in no hurry to concede it either.
CG
June 11th, 2008 2:30pmI said this yesterday - I'd love a No vote, but I don't think it's going to happen. The Yes supporters have got more money and influence. The farmers hae been bought. And even if there's a No, it will overridden, a fact that might keep a lot of No supporters at home.
Andrew P
June 11th, 2008 2:55pmThe majority of you rfellow Europeans would love the opportunity to say no to this second class treaty but are prevented from doing so by their so called political servants. Don't waste this last opportunity to make the EU listen to its people. Please vote no. Thank you.
Jonathan M. Scott
June 11th, 2008 2:55pmI caught the debate on RTE on Tuesday evening (I live in Londonderry) and it was eye-opening. Declan Ganley (Libertas) and Mary Lou McDonald (Sinn Féin), both on the 'No' side, were coherent and made cogent and clear arguments. Enda Kenny (Leader, Fine Gale) and Micheál Martin (Minister for Foreign Affairs, Fianna Fail) were swivel-eyed and ranting. It's no wonder the Irish people are going to vote No.
Jer
June 11th, 2008 2:57pmRuth, You incorrectly ascribe the "people died for your freedom" poster to Sinn Fein. Thats not true its a Coir poster. Accuracy is a key remember. BTW Sinn Fein and Libertas seemed to be getting on okay when I saw them on Questions and Answers.
Pat
June 11th, 2008 5:26pmthe Sinn Fein version "people killed innocent men women and children so you could be subjection to our own military junta" - was not thought to be a winner
TGF UKIP
June 11th, 2008 5:32pmStill looks like a "Yes" but the betting has moved in slightly on the Paddy Power website. "Yes" from 2/7 to 1/3 and "No" from 9/4 to 2/1.
Eleanor McNicholas
June 11th, 2008 8:05pmA letter from Shane Ó Mearáin on today's Irish Times says it all: "The No camp makes me want to vote Yes and the Yes camp makes me want to vote No".
FutureTaoiseach
June 12th, 2008 3:47amI wouldn't take the Irish bookies too seriously if I were you. They are hand-in-glove with the elites and FF and FG millionaires are trying to rig the odds by betting heavily on yes. I'm voting no. If the bookies were always right, our govt would be FF-Labour and its not.
Democrat
June 12th, 2008 10:01am@Ray
Nobody in Ireland uses the term 'British Isles'. It's outdated and inaccurate.
Colm
June 12th, 2008 2:47pmRay, You're either a west Brit or a unionist, in either case Ireland is not part of your poxy British isles...
Pearse
June 12th, 2008 4:58pmIt looks like it will be a No vote from my soundings. I hope that Britain gets down on its knees and thanks us for it.
Andrew Morrow
June 12th, 2008 5:39pmHere in Donegal we see very little evidence of the EU largesse we are all supposed to be grateful for. Our roads are appalling, just cross the border to see the difference, local hospital is in constant crisis and there is no job creation. Only a housing boom fuelled mainly by buyers from N Ireland,l, now dried up thanks to Sterling weakness and collapse of property bubble. More in sorrow than in anger I will be voting No which I can not believe as I consider myself very pro -European and speak French, German and Spanish. Even worked for a while in Baden Wurttemberg.
True Finn
June 13th, 2008 6:58pmIn Finland we hadn't any civil discussion about Lisbon treaty. Citizens don't know anything about the Lisbon Treaty, because it's so obscure. (you can read that pdf-document on internet) Government hides all disadvantages and don't ask anything from the citizens.
Finland's "yes" -answer was Government's answer, but the real citizens' answer was not heard!
Only destination is to get all countries under the "democratic powers". (dictatorship)
Correct ? That's how EU works. Say goodbye to countries' sovereignities .. or vote NO!