Britannist

RTE (the Irish radio and television service) said at 3 pm: "30 constituencies have declared and 23 of them have said No to the 'Treaty'. The results in the remaining 13 constituencies are due so and the final declaration is due in the next couple of hours. Clare, Dunleavy and the Dublin North and Dublin South constituencies voted for the 'Treaty'. 53.5% have voted No on results declared so far - with 46.5% voted for the 'Treaty."

"The scale of the No vote has come as quite a surprise to many" an RTE reporter said. He added "The No vote and Yes vote is at the same level as in the Irish referendum when people voted No to the EU Nice Treaty (EU Nice 1 referendum) - the commuter belt vote (Dublin area) which has international connections voted Yes."

Another said "The political elite here and elsewhere in the EU will have to think long and hard as to why the only nation to vote on the EU Lisbon 'Treaty' said No to it."

The Irish Labour Party leader has just told RTE "The EU Lisbon 'Treaty' is dead - it requires agreement in all 27 EU member states."

An Irish eurosceptic campaigner told RTE at 3.12 pm today "Blue collar working class Ireland, women, rural Ireland and the Celtic cubs - who may think we are now too sophisticated for europe - have voted No: this is a crushing defeat for the Yes side."

In one constituency the Yes and No vote is just four votes apart - a recount is taking place.

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowan - a europhile who bacsk the EU Constitution Lisbon 'Treaty' - will talk to EU leaders at a meeting in Brussels of the EU Council next week (he has attended EU meetings before as Irish Finance Minister).

An RTE reporter said at 3.19 pm today "There is very little change between the two 'Treaties' (the EU Constitution and the EU Lisbon 'Treaty) - France's President Sarkozy cannot criticise Ireland in view of the fact that France voted against the EU Constitution in a referendum in 2005."

He forecast that the EU may abandon its plans to cut down the size of the EU Commission (one of the clauses of the EU Constitution Lisbon Treaty) - Germany has also allegedly expressed concern at not having an EU Commissioner for half the time the EU Commission sits. The Irish reporter also said that the EU may have to look again at plans to reduce the voting weight of the Irish Republic if there is a No vote in the Irish Republic in yesterday's referendum on the Lisbon 'Treaty'.

Dublin Central (the former constituency of europhile Irish Prime Minister Aherne) has voted No. Limerick West constituency has voted No by 55% it has just been announced (defying the trend in parts of Dublin to vote for the 'Treaty').

Populist Lee

Let's hope the margin of Victory is enough to make the EU-philes at least pause before they push on with the ratification process.

__________________
ENGLISH POPULISM
Stands as the only obstacle in the path of the Plutocrats
who seek to reduce all the Peoples of the World
to Economic and Political Slavery under Globalism


POPULISM MEANS WHAT YOU WANT IS WHAT YOU GET

Britannist

Declan Ganley, the leading figure in the Irish Libertas campaign against the EU Constitution Lisbon 'Treaty' told RTE (the Irish radio and television service) at 3.30 pm today "People rejected this formula in France and Holland. We need to get the message that the democratic voice of the Irish people must be heard - the same message as from tens of millions of our fellow citizens (who voted against this 'Treaty' in France and Holland). People are sick of being patronised and talked down to by the EU. Irish people have just said they don't like the (EU Constitution) Lisbon 'Treaty'. A divide has opened up between EU citizens and the elite. This exclusive EU process of speaking down to people must end. Tens of millions of people - in France and Holland and now in Ireland - have said No to this."

When a europhile in the RTE radio studio told Mr. Ganley that 18 nations have ratified the EU Lisbon 'Treaty' Mr. Ganley said "but not by referendum."

Mr. Ganley (in response to a question from a journalist in the RTE studio) said it was not true that 1.3 million - 1.8 million had been spent by Libertas in their No campaign. He said the figure was well below 1.3 million euros.

The journalist said "Declan Ganley and Libertas have run a most efficient campaign in such a short time."

Mr. Ganley said "I am an Irishman; proud to be an Irishman and proud that the Irish people have voted No."

The turnout in yesterday's referendum in the Irish Republic (on the EU Constitution Lisbon 'Treaty') was higher than the EU Nice 2 referendum in the Irish Republic - there were claims (after the EU Nice 2 Treaty referendum in the Irish Republic) that higher voter turnouts (in the Irish Republic) help the europhile Yes side. This claim has not proved to be correct as regards the referendum held in the Irish Republic yesterday.

Britannist

The EU ruling elite will now try to get the measures in the EU Constitution Lisbon 'Treaty' through in other ways (as former Conservative Government Minister) Michael Portillo forecast on 'This Week' on BBC 1 Television last night.

komerad

PL - No doubt, unfortunately there is already an alternative plan already in progress. I expect the phone lines are red hot between Brussels, Berlin, Paris, London etc etc.
The EU have had 60+ years experience at this game, a small hiccup like this will not be the end of their nightmare dream.
They will probably come up with a two tier system (Ireland in Div 2), OR
change the rules, instead of all countries (27) having to ratify the LT, make it 75% of countries needed to ratify same.
It's like trying to stop an avalanche by planting an extra bush.
Welcome to the EUSSR

Anthony Butcher

I wonder whether the Tories would then change their EU policy to campaigning for a status like Ireland's. The next EU elections would then be about the Tories looking to take powers back from the EU, with Labour handing more over.... that would be ideal for the soft europhiles in the Tories.

__________________
If you care about what's in your food and where it comes from, then get it labelled!
Label My Food - http://www.labelmyfood.org.uk

Britannist

Results from the Irish Republic so far (source RTE Irish radio and television): 54% No with 46% for the Yes to the EU Constitution Lisbon 'Treaty' side.

"The Lisbon 'Treaty' is now dead and EU leaders will respect our decision" said Eamonn Gilmore, leader of the Irish Labour Party.

Five of 43 constituencies are yet to declare their results.

The official declaration of the Irish referendum held yesterday on the EU Constitution Lisbon 'Treaty' will be made at Dublin Castle this evening.

Britannist

The EU alternative plan is to get the measures in the 'Treaty' through in other ways -as former Conservative Government Minister Michael Portillo forecast on 'This Week' on BBC 1 Television last night.

I understand that this is the biggest No vote to an EU 'Treaty' in the Irish Republic so far (in terms of actual votes cast - the voter turnout in yesterday's referendum was high and higher than in the EU Nice 2 'Treaty' referendum in the Irish Republic which was won by the europhiles).

gremlin in the works

the LT is like a Hydra if you cut one head off it grows an other one.

Britannist

EU Commission President Barroso just said (at 4.29 pm) in a Brussels press conference organised for him to comment on the Irish referendum result: "I believe Ireland remains committed to building a strong and united europe. Working together in europe is the best way. Eighteen states have ratified the 'Treaty'. The process should go on."

Source: Sky Television News and Irish radio (RTE).