Now - perhaps - Cameron and Hague will spell out the Tory party’s
fall-back policy. Up to now it has been frustrating not to know what
this is but there was a rational case for not disclosing the party’s
strategy too soon.
“Too soon” is over. What’s it to be ?
xxxxxxxxxxxx cs
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CONSERVATIVE HOME Blog 5.5.0909
Confirmation of Irish Lisbon referendum has the potential to give
David Cameron an unwelcome Euro-headache
The prospect of the Lisbon Treaty having passed into law before the
British general election is not one that David Cameron welcomes. His
preferred election campaign scenario is the one where Lisbon is not
in force and the Conservative Party can promise a snap referendum
which could quickly stop the whole treaty in its tracks.
Just last week David Cameron launched a new campaign demanding a
referendum here in Britain, but the news today that Ireland will
definitely hold a new referendum on the Treaty this autumn makes it -
regrettably - increasingly likely that the Treaty will be in force by
the end of the year in any case.
Recent polling suggests that Ireland will now deliver a "Yes" vote
come the referendum, and tomorrow the Czech Senate will be voting on
the Treaty (it has already passed the Czech lower house).
All of which has the potential to cause David Cameron something of a
headache in the run-up to the general election expected in May 2010.
What he and shadow foreign secretary William Hague have thus far said
in the event that Lisbon is already on the statute book by the
arrival of a Conservative Government is that "we would not let
matters rest there".
But if the Treaty does pass a few months before that general
election, Mr Cameron and Mr Hague will have to provide satisfactory
answers to the questions about what they would actually do in
government on the issue. Would/could they hold a retrospective
referendum? Would they demand a wholesale renegotiation of Britain's
relationship with the EU?
Whatever their answer, they need to be bold and win a mandate from
the British people to assert this country's desire to be the master
of its own destiny whilst enjoying cordial relations with our
European neighbours - whilst not allowing the party to get overly
obsessed with the issue.
And that won't necessarily be easy.
Jonathan Isaby
=========================
IRISH TIMES 5.5.09
Lisbon poll to be held in autumn, says Roche
STEPHEN COLLINS, Political Editor
THE SECOND referendum on the Lisbon Treaty will be held in the
autumn, Minister for European Affairs Dick Roche said yesterday.
He added that as part of the process of steering its way out of
recession Ireland needed to secure its position within the European
Union.
Speaking in Berlin to the German Council on Foreign Relations, the
Minister said he wanted to deliver the message that Ireland was
coming to grips with its problems and taking decisive action to bring
the Government’s finances under control, ensure the health of the
banking system and improve competitiveness.
“Part of this determined effort to steer Ireland out of recession
involves securing our position within the European Union by dealing
decisively with the implications of last year’s referendum result and
drawing the necessary lessons from it,” said Mr Roche.
He said the treaty provided for a set of sensible reforms to how the
EU did its business.
“When we have finalised our legal guarantees to the mutual
satisfaction of Ireland and the other member states, which is due to
happen by mid-2009, they will represent a comprehensive package of
measures designed to address all the key concerns of the Irish people
relating to the Lisbon Treaty.
“I have every confidence that we will manage to reach a fully
satisfactory outcome to this work,” said Mr Roche.
He added that in his view the legal guarantees related to issues of
specific concern in Ireland and would not give rise to problems for
others. “The key priority for Ireland is that these guarantees must
be legally robust. This is essential if our people’s genuinely-held
concerns are to be assuaged and we are to be in a position to
successfully ratify the treaty.
“Our partners understand, I believe, that we cannot and will not put
the same package to our people later this year. They have shown
genuine understanding of our situation and a real willingness to
respond positively to the issues we have raised,” he said.
The Minister said that on the basis of these legal guarantees, the
Government was committed to seeking ratification of the treaty before
the end of the term of the current commission.
“To those who argue that the Union is a hotbed of waste and
overregulation, we will point to the Union’s achievements . . .
creating the European single market and establishing the euro.
“To those who quibble about the Union’s alleged failures, we will
point to the big picture of a Union that is not perfect but that has
helped to transform Ireland and to spread peace and prosperity
throughout our continent.”
Mr Roche said he wanted the Irish people to vote Yes because they had
reached a greater level of understanding . . . and because they were
reassured by the guarantees that Ireland would receive in areas of
concern to them.
“I want them to vote Yes because they want Ireland to stay at the
heart of a Union . . . ratifying Lisbon is the best way for us to do
this,” he said.
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