Voters in Ireland are ready to wreck EU treaty, pollsters say



Voters in Ireland could scupper the controversial EU treaty, a poll suggests.

The survey, just days before the referendum, found that the 'No' vote had surged into the lead for the first time.

Of those polled, 35 per cent said they would vote to derail the Lisbon Treaty on Thursday - double the number three weeks ago.

Meanwhile, those planning to vote in favour dropped from 35 per cent to 30 per cent, the Irish Times poll found.

The leader of the SDLP Mark Durkan (left) and Irish Labour party leader Eamon Gilmore (right) speaking at a press conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland in May, urging voters to vote pro-Europe

The treaty must be passed unanimously by all 27 member states.

It has been waved through by the other 26 countries, including Britain, despite fears over the loss of national sovereignty.

But Ireland has a legal obligation to put it to the public - and a 'No' vote would kill it off.

Opponents say that the treaty will enable the creation of a permanent EU president, foreign minister and diplomatic service, surrendering almost 50 national vetoes to Brussels.

But in March, MPs in Britain voted against holding a referendum.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats scuppered calls to give voters the chance to decide on the revamped constitution, despite manifesto pledges from both to hold a ballot.

Gordon Brown has repeatedly claimed the 'constitutional concept' had been abandoned and has resisted calls for a vote.

The Prime Minister said the treaty was 'substantially different' to the constitution rejected by France and Holland in 2005. He argued that Britain was different because ministers had negotiated to protect key 'red lines' on crime and justice, human and social rights, foreign policy and taxes.

Neil O'Brien, director of the eurosceptic think-tank Open Europe, fears that the Irish government is likely to hold a second referendum if the 'Yes' campaign is defeated next week.

But last month, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso suggested that a 'No' vote would be catastrophic for the EU.

In a series of mini-referendums held across Britain by the I Want A Referendum campaign group this year, 88 per cent demanded a vote on the treaty.

And on Wednesday, the House of Lords is due to vote on the treaty. But an amendment to secure a national poll looks likely to be defeated.

William Hague, the Tory foreign affairs spokesman, said: 'How the Irish vote on the EU Treaty is for the Irish to decide.



'But the great thing for Ireland is that they're being given a choice the rest of us are being denied. Every test of public opinion shows that the vast majority of British people want to have their say on this treaty.

'After all, that's exactly what Gordon Brown promised the country at the last election.'

