David Miliband

Foreign Secretary

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Thursday 02 July, 2009

Irish Eyes Smiling

As I explained on Irish radio yesterday the deal secured by Ireland at the European council for a decision in respect of legal guarantees about the Lisbon Treaty, to be followed by the annexing of the decision to a future European treaty, is a win-win - good for Ireland and good for the rest of Europe. All parties there except Sinn Fein support a yes vote in the referendum now planned for early October. But no one is taking anything for granted.

The guarantees address concerns about tax, abortion and defence - and assure that the Lisbon Treaty does not affect Irish practice. My impression is that Irish voters are going to give them a good look. The fact that every country will keep a commissioner is also relevant. I can't tell the Irish how to vote. I can say there was a good deal in Brussels.

Posted at 17:47 02 July 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[1]

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David, Are you still trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the Irish voters? The text of the treaty will be unchanged when they are forced to vote on it again. That is, it is exactly the same text that they voted on and rejected last time. Even Glenys Kinnock you Europe Minister has admitted this. The 'legal guarantees' won't happen until after the referendum should they vote 'Yes' and will only be added as a protocol on the accession of some other country. There is no 'legally binding' part of it. The Irish are being asked, nay told, to vote on the same treaty that they have already rejected. In Iran, they falsify elections to get the result they want. In Europe they keep asking the question until the 'correct' answer is received. Now - which of these iterations of democracy do you think is the better one seeing as both show a lack of respect for the voter?

Posted by Paul E on July 02, 2009 at 07:20 PM BST #

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