Nigel Farage has described the Irish referendum result - in which twice as many people voted ‘yes’ to the Lisbon Treaty as ‘no’ - as a “fix”
UKIP leader Nigel Farage has claimed the referndum campaign in Ireland was “a fix” following the 2:1 vote in favour of ratifying the Lisbon Treaty.
Speaking on the BBC News Channel he said:
“The Irish have been bullied into voting yes. This is a fix. They’ve had a wall of money thrown at them, and the broadcasting rules have been changed, we’ve not had equal coverage, the State broadcaster changed its rules.
“I have to say while I’m disappointed by the result, I think the whole thing has been an absolute travesty of democracy. The way this thing has been conducted is more akin to Zimbabwe or Afghanistan. This has not been a free and fair referendum.”
Mr Farage’s remarks are in sharp contrast to those of the leader of the ‘no’ campaign Declan Ganley, who praised the ‘yes’ campaign for a “masterful campaign”, conceding the result was an “overwhelming endorsement” of the Treaty.
The result will concern Tory leader David Cameron on the eve of his party conference, with a poll on ConservativeHome this morning showing 84 per cent of members want a referendum on the Treaty. Mr Cameron has repeatedly refused to say what his policy would be should the Treaty be ratified in all 27 member states.
In an email today, before the Irish result was announced, he wrote:
“I want to make one thing clear: there will be no change in our policy on Europe and no new announcements at the Conference. There will be no change in Conservative policy as long as the Lisbon Treaty is still not in force. The Treaty has still not been ratified by the Czechs and the Poles. The Czech Prime Minister has said that the constitutional challenge before the Czech Constitutional Court could take 3-6 months to resolve.
“I have said repeatedly that I want us to have a referendum. If the Treaty is not ratified in all Member States and not in force when the election is held, and if we are elected, then we will hold a referendum on it, we will name the date of the referendum in the election campaign, we will lead the campaign for a ‘No’ vote.
“If the Treaty is ratified and in force in all Member States, we have repeatedly said we would not let matters rest there. But we have one policy at a time, and we will set out how we would proceed in those circumstances if, and only if, they happen.”
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12 Responses to “Irish ayes smile on Europe as Farage cries “fix””
Rory
I would suggest that Mr Das does not refute much of what Mr Farage says because he cannot.
Were the Irish bullied into voting yes? Well, they were ludicrously threatened with economic collapse and ostracisation by European elites (despite the fact majorities in other European countries are opposed to further political integration), which is certainly a form of intimidation.
Did the ‘no’ side get equal representation on Irish TV, in newspapers etc? I would say they didn’t.
I think it is a travesty of democracy when political elites manipulate the media as happens in Ireland and in this country. Just look at the way New Labour manipulated the media here(such as by giving The Sun scoops in exchange for favourable treatment). Do you think this sort of thing does not happen in Ireland?
Luke
Farage has a point though. There were some tricks involved. The Irish were promised ‘jobs and employment’ if they voted ‘Yes’ to the Treaty. As any person with common sense knows that a Treaty alone cannot promise anything. Only political will from a national Parliament.
Just have to wait until what the Czech courts decide to do now.