We need voting strength and respect - not mercy says Farmers for No

Press statement

Speaking at the Ploughing Championships, Farmers for No spokesman, David Thompson today said:

‘THE IFA arguments in favour of Lisbon are totally bogus.
If we vote No, Ireland remains a full and active member of the EU, with full access to the EU market and ECB credit etc. Padraig Walsh and Minister Brendan Smith know this of course, but try to hoodwink people with this because they know there are no benefits in the Lisbon Treaty for Ireland.

‘AT the key Council of Ministers, under Lisbon our voting strength will half. We need more than goodwill or mercy when negotiating on behalf of Ireland; we need to keep our voting strength and get respect for our position.

‘Because we voted NO, at the moment, Ireland is at the political centre of Europe.
However, if we vote Yes, eaten bread is quickly forgotten and we become an irrelevance overnight.

‘Article 207 of Lisbon is clear that we lose our World Trade Organisation veto if we vote Yes. This would be a terminal mistake for Ireland and something the Irish people could never forgive the Yes advocates for.

‘Oh yes, the IFA sponsored poll is completely bogus, it is popcorn and propaganda. According to the Millward Brown study after Lisbon, 48 per cent of farmers voted no, in our experience of talking to farmers, the percentage will be even higher this time. Why is it higher? Because farmers notice a bad deal for agriculture and rural Ireland when they see it.’

ends