Irish opinion too close to call ahead of Lisbon Treaty vote

Published on Sunday 8 June 2008 22:10

POLITICAL parties and campaigners were last night ratcheting up their efforts to sway Irish voters on the imminent Lisbon Treaty referendum as a new poll signalled a tight contest.

With just days to go until the referendum, the Sunday Business Post Red C poll found the pro-treaty side slightly ahead at 42 per cent on the "No" campaign's 39 per cent.

Although the margin is less encouraging for those opposed to the treaty – after a similar poll last week put them 5 per cent ahead – the overall trend is a surging "No" vote.

But the contest appears to be wide open with canvassing in the lead-up to Thursday's European reform treaty referendum set to prove crucial.

Michael Martin, Ireland's foreign affairs minister, said the latest opinion poll showed people who believed the treaty was good for Ireland and the EU needed to get out and register their vote on 12 June. "The result will be close, but the 'Yes' sentiment has held firm," he said.

However, Sinn Fein insisted people should vote "No" and seek a better deal.

The Sunday Business Post Red C poll was carried out among 1,000 voters around the country. Some 17 per cent of those who said they would definitely vote remain undecided, according to the poll.

The Irish Republic is the only one of the 27 EU member states to hold a referendum on the treaty.

Meanwhile, a separate poll yesterday showed a clear majority of British voters would back a looser relationship with the EU in a referendum.

Some 41 per cent questioned in the poll for the Global Vision group said they would like Britain's relationship with the EU to be based on trade and co-operation, compared with 27 per cent who want the UK to remain a full EU member and 26 per cent who favour withdrawal.