Cassilis

Friday, March 07, 2008

Lisbon Treaty row may not be such a big deal...

5:14 PM | Comments (6)

I've made my feelings on the EU referendum clear but the Economist this week highlights how important it is for the governments enemies not to make too much of the row or overstate its electoral impact:

Yet for all the political sound and fury, the government has some cause for comfort. For one thing, the public is relatively indifferent. Hardcore Eurosceptics are vocal and tenacious—recent stunts have included unveiling a banner on a crane outside Parliament, and funding unofficial referendums via postal votes. But though most people say they want the chance to vote on the treaty, it is not of great importance to them. They care more about issues such as crime, immigration and health.
Conservatives claimed a moral victory after their amendment was defeated, and the Lib Dems came out of it badly. But the government has yet to be severely damaged by the treaty saga. Voters may want the same say on Europe's high politics as they enjoy on its low-brow pop, but it is too early to tell whether they will punish those who have denied it to them.

Link

6 Comments:

Bob Piper said...: I suspect you are right in the long run, Liam. I sat down with half a dozen people at our local jazz club last night and the consensus was, "we should have had a referendum". When asked what it was they wanted a referendum about, which parts of the Treaty upset them... silence. When the election takes place in June 2010... and their world hasn't disappeared down a black hole, it will be so much wind and piss, I suspect.; 6:06 PM
Cassilis said...: Your comment makes me jealous Bob - not for the political insight but the fact that your evenings are spent in jazz clubs discussing politics.

Mine largely involve changing nappies - fancy a swap...?; 8:07 PM
Bretwalda Edwin-Higham said...: It might be true and very predictable that the eurosceptics did not win but the issue is cdertainly far more to the forefront of people's minds than europhiles purport. There'd be a resounding no in a referendum.; 5:33 AM
Bretwalda Edwin-Higham said...: Post for you, sir; 5:55 AM
hughes views said...: It may be very hard for some passionate eurosceptics to understand but their passion isn't widely held. The latest MORI poll, for example, said that only 3% of the population see Europe as even their second highest political issue. It's not a vote winner but, as in 2001, it could lose the Tories a lot of middle class voters who know, and are quite happy, that our future is firmly in the EU...; 11:08 AM
Newmania said...: From that last remark I shall assume Hugh of Hughes views lives abroad. The top issue is of course immigration , which shows how ‘little’ we care about the sovereignty and integrity of the nation. Tbe reason the EU is not as high is because its activities are carefully disguised in hollowed out national institutions and few people know the truth. The BBC is crucial here

I disagree , this is a slow burning issue but as brown and Milli-slime must be beginning to see it is not going away and the tide is turning against them; 1:53 PM