How to lose a referendum – an idiot’s guide
There’s a five-week practical course being taught in Dublin on how to throw away a commanding opinion poll lead.
Hot tips:
* If No campaigners brand the Lisbon Treaty as a pro-business charter, wheel out Intel and Ryanair (neither of which recognises unions in Ireland) to say the Treaty is good for workers.
* Have mouthy Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary refer to the government as ‘incompetent’.
* To counter any suspicion that outsiders are leaning on the Irish electorate, let the American Chamber of Commerce and European Commission stick their oar in on how the Irish constitution should be amended.
* Arrange for government and opposition politicians to spend six days a week telling voters the other cannot be trusted, but on the seventh day reassure the public that you are both right about Lisbon.
* Tee up a deeply controversial scrap about a ‘bad bank’ which will see street protests on September 12 and 19.
* Plan to publish a report on taxation – which will inevitably recommend unpopular new levies – despite the recommendation of the Foreign Minister that this could jeopardise the referendum vote.
It might seem difficult to lose a political fight when the two government parties and the two largest opposition parties are on the same side – but believe me, it can be done…
Europe, China and the rest…