New Poll shows Lisbon Referendum could be defeated- NO Vote shows 17% increase

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Thursday June 05, 2008 22:47 by Lertoir

YES -30; NO -35 ; Don't Know- 35

A new Irish Times poll to be published in the paper in the morning, shows the Yes side at 30%, down five percentage points since their last poll three weeks ago, while the 'No' side is standing at 35%, up by an astounding 17%.

Those who responded with 'Don't Know' are down by 12 points to 35%

a satirical Lisbon poster

While the detail of the poll has not yet been published, it seems likely that in the last week many people who formerly had not decided how they would vote have now plumped for the safe option of voting against the Lisbon Treaty. A No vote means all existing EU institutions stay as they are now, while a Yes vote to pass the treaty would result in sweeping and drastic changes to the European Union.

It is not clear how the mainstream political parties - Labour, Fianna Fáil, and Fine Gael (weareallthesame.ie) will respond to the news that a sizable amount of their voters are intending to side with Sinn Fein and other left wing parties that oppose changes to Ireland's constitution proposed by the treaty.

While the poll was taken just after the farmers union the IFA (see we.do.what.were.told.ie) decided to support the treaty, the uncertain message from the country's largest union SIPTU ( see cantdecide.com) and the former taoiseach's appearance at the tribunal (see iwonitonahorse.honest.eu) may have balanced out the effect.

Don't Knows still outnumber Yes voters and equal No voters, so with seven days to go, the treaty could still go either way - as the saying goes- a week is a long time in politics (see recycled.political.cliches.org).