Irish Referendum rejects EU Treaty

[Nick]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7452171.stm

More cats amongst the troughing power hungry pigeons!

Tallies are not official, but Mr Ahern says it is clear the No vote is ahead in a vast majority of constituencies.

This would scupper the treaty, which must be ratified by all members. Only Ireland has held a public vote on it.

[Uncle Mort]

I wonder how many voters have read the Lisbon Treaty?

Just over three million Irish voters are registered - in a European Union of 490 million people.

45% turnout, say 60% against, that's less than a millon deciding for amost half a billion.

Perhaps they could put an additional clause at the bottom excepting the Irish from all of the above.

[Nick]

At least they were offered a vote!

[Uncle Mort]

Considering how well the Irish Republic has done since joining the EU a no vote is a bit surprising.

[Pastis]

A commentator the other night was saying the Treaty is unreadable; in fact it makes James Joyce's Ulysses seem a light read.

Here's an easy to understand diagram to help put it in perspective...


 

[Nick]

I was once sent on a week's visit to Brussels for briefing on EU related stuff. All of it was incomprehensible. They gave us paperwork. I really really tried to read it but none of it made any sense. I think it's designed that way.

But we are in safe hands, I am sure:

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/mandelson/index_en.htm

Odd that his CV does not include being sacked twice for corruption!

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/mandelson/profile_en.htm

[The Moan Ranger]

Considering how well the Irish Republic has done since joining the EU a no vote is a bit surprising.

For this one act, I partially forgive the papist Taigs for re-fuelling the German U-Boats during WWII.

It is typical of them.

Take what you can while you can and then throw your toys out of your pram when it looks like things might get rough.

At least they had the chance to vote. Good on 'em 

[Nick]

Both they and Spain have done well. Spain had the sense to invest the bounty in infrastucture, try dirving or going on trains in Spain and compare with the UK! 

ANd Brussels is full of Spanish and Irish troughers.

It was the ones left behind in the bogs who voted the troughers down

[Grumpmeister]

The French response is worrying. Ignore the Irish vote, press on regardless & at the end of the year see what legal measures are in place to 'help' the Irish over the line.

[Snoopy]

Expected nothing else. This is dictatorship! 

[Darwins Selection]

Well done Paddy!

The EU machine is powerful enough already, if not too powerful.

A UK referendum is vital.

[Barman]

Three cheers for the bog trotters!

Now, where is that lynching rope? 

[Snoopy]

Three cheers for the bog trotters!

Now, where is that lynching rope? 

Round Mr Lynch's neck I hope. 

[Grumpmeister]

Once again our Law Lords look at what is best for this country and then do whatever the hell they want. This government categorically promised that there would be a referendum on the EU treaty before it was ratified and now the High Court has decided that the government can go ahead and ratify is as it wouldnt be illegal to do so.

Maybe I'm being overly simplistic here but isnt fraudulent advertising when an entitiy promises to do something and then doesnt bother?

LONDON (Reuters) - The High Court rejected a lawsuit on Wednesday that sought to halt the country's approval of an EU reform treaty.

Businessman Stuart Wheeler had brought the case to try to force the government to block the ratification of the Lisbon treaty, which seeks to streamline decision-making in the 27-member bloc.

"We have found nothing in the claimant's case to cast doubt on the lawfulness of ratifying the Lisbon treaty without a referendum," the judge, Lord Justice Stephen Richards, said in his ruling. He also refused Wheeler leave to appeal, saying: "We are satisfied an appeal has no prospect of success."

Wheeler immediately said his lawyers would take the case further and apply to the Court of Appeal for permission to challenge the verdict.

The Lisbon treaty is already in jeopardy because it was rejected this month by Irish voters in a referendum and must be adopted by all 27 EU members to take force.

The treaty replaces an EU constitution that was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. This time around, Ireland has been the only country to allow its voters a say in a referendum.

The British government had promised a referendum on the EU constitution before it was scuppered, but says it did not need one on the Lisbon treaty, and parliament has now approved it for ratification.

The government says it stands by the principle that the treaty cannot come into force without Irish consent, but other EU members are still entitled to proceed with ratification.

The High Court judge called on the government last Friday to delay the formal ratification of the until he had ruled on the legal challenge.