Lisbon voted down

Splendid. Truly splendid.

Let the political classes take note that the Irish people will not be bullied.

Let the other peoples of the EU, who were so egregiously denied democracy, take note and thank us.

And let us, as a people, be proud.

We have, for now, prevented what effectively would have amounted to a coup d'etats. But when that sleveen creature Barroso murmurs ominously that other countries should continue ratifying what, under the EU's own rules, is now a dead treaty, then there is reason to remain vigilant and concerned.

Why in the hell would any other country waste their time ratifying this trash now, when it has been rejected? If not, that is, for the reason that Barroso hopes to ignore our democratic voice at some stage in the future?

The EU parliament has already appallingly voted to ignore the Irish vote whichever way it went, and refuse to debate it.

Now we're seeing the petulant EU executive's response, which is no different, but significantly more concerning.

If anything ought to convince the waverers that we've done the right thing, then this response is it. These people do not have the interests of Europeans at heart. They have no inclination to respect the voice of democracy. They only want centralised power and will stop at nothing until they get it.

And because of that lust, I am forced to make a sad prediction here and now. This isn't over. They will be back with this treaty a third time to try to force us where they want us to go again.

But for now, we have given them the slap down they badly deserve in their hubris and arrogance.

Well done, Ireland. I'm feckin proud of yiz.

So what's this Lisbon Treaty thing about?

This just in from the Department of the Bleeding Obvious: Most Irish people haven't a clue what this Lisbon treaty malarkey is about.

Why is that, do you think? Might it have something to do with the fact that the document is so difficult and complex to summarise that everyone just gave up trying to explain it?

That seemed to be EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso's position this week when he visited Cork and deigned to take a few questions from a hand-picked selection of langers.

But it's not that complex: here's a nice, simple (pro-EU) summary of what the treaty will do, from Auntie Beeb.

Then again, it might be because the Lisbon Treaty is just the failed EU Constitution rehashed. That constitution failed because the good people of France and Holland rejected it in referenda.

So this time around, the EU mandarins have made two clever changes: firstly, they're not calling it a constitution, and secondly they're not allowing any referenda.

So basically, whatever the people of Europe might think or want, their governments are not permitting them to decide for themselves. Unfortunately for the EU mandarins, that doesn't fly in Ireland. Our national constitution DEMANDS that a referendum has to be held.

So what will Lisbon bring if we vote for it? Well, some of the scary NO people would have you think it will bring in abortion on demand, bio-chips in your babies, an EU army with a draft during wartimes, and all sorts of other nasties.

That's not strictly true. But what IS in the treaty is scary enough without people having to make shit up.

• There'll be an EU parliament that can overrule the Dail.
• There'll be an EU army, albeit without a compulsory draft (for now.)
• There'll be an EU government in the shape of a beefed-up EU Commission.
• There'll be an EU Foreign Minister implementing foreign policy on a Europe-wide basis, overruling national foreign policies.
• There'll be a Europe-wide justice system, in the shape of a beefed-up European Courts of Justice.

In short, if Lisbon succeeds, you will cease to be a citizen of Ireland in any meaningful legal sense, compared to how you will be a citizen of Europe.

Lisbon is a charter for a federal Europe. But to admit that would be to see it defeated, so the mandarins have been terrifically careful to avoid the F-word.

Of course Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour all like Lisbon. It's a charter that creates new levels of politics and power and bureaucracy.

But it's not something that's good for the people of Ireland or the people of Europe.

Why else do you think that diplomats and civil servants were seeking to delay bad news from Europe until after the referendum?

Why do they believe you will vote whatever way Irish politicians tell you to, and why do they think the treaty is 'largely incomprehensible' to the lay person?

The answer lies here, in the embarrassing email the British Embassy in Dublin sent to London after a secret meeting with Irish civil servants about the Lisbon Treaty.

Basically, it's a con that they're inflicting on us, because they think we're stupid and easily led and because they think we won't read the damn thing. I hope we prove them wrong on all of their arrogant counts.

Unfortunately, it's up to us and us alone to pull the EU back from the brink of a Federal Europe and all that entails.

So vote sensibly. Vote against the Lisbon Treaty if you believe in national sovereignty, if you believe in democracy in Europe and if you believe in Ireland.

Vote NO to Lisbon.

Labour's not working

I went to a Labour Party meeting last weekend. It was the first time I'd ever done so.

Now for the first time ever, I understand why they are the half-party in a two and a half party system. The party's internal systems are stuck in the stone age.

I also now realise the reason why no social democratic party has ever been elected to govern in Ireland (unlike pretty much EVERY other European country).

It's because the only viable left-wing party in Ireland (no, the Marxist Revolutionary former terrorist Sinn Fein don't count) has never, EVER, got its act together.

And after a single meeting taster, I'm not entirely convinced that they ever will, despite the undoubted talent that exists within the party.

Recently I met with a local councillor who, after a few years in Labour, left and joined the Greens instead. They cited the internal politics as the reason for their departure.

I appreciate the need for Labour to look inwards at this time of new leadership, and decide where they want to go and what else they need to change.

But while the party's internal rhetoric remains ideological cant and internecine rivalries, Fianna Fail will continue to mop up the natural left-wing vote in Ireland, while Sinn Fein and the Greens nibble at it too. But it's a vote that by rights ought to belong to Labour.

Drug Test the Dail

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny wants to see random drug testing introduced into Irish schools. I would direct his attention towards Dail Eireann first.

On three separate occasions in the past two years, Irish newspapers have found evidence of cocaine usage in the Dail bar toilets.

First Ireland on Sunday discovered that cocaine had been used in the Dail toilets on Budget day. Then a year later, the Irish Daily Mirror repeated the experiment with the same results. Most recently, the Irish Star tried again, and discovered once again that cocaine had been used in Leinster House.

That's a 100% hit rate for a class A drug. Clearly evidence that if there is one location in Ireland outside of certain Dublin nightclubs that badly needs a randomised drug testing regime, it's Dail Eireann, not Irish secondary schools.

Simon of the Dossing Times has launched a petition calling for Irish politicians to be drug tested. I urge everyone to go and sign it now.