There was a stark contrast between Dublin Castle last Saturday and the same place in June 2008, when the No side won the first Lisbon referendum. This time the place was like a morgue. Last time, photographers literally almost came to blows trying to take pictures of Gerry Adams and his colleagues in Sinn Féin.
Give us an aul’ smile, Brian (Photo by Alan Betson)
The conventional wisdom now is that the Lisbon Treaty will pass by a respectable margin. The opening of the Nama debate in the Dáil seems to have calmed nerves. Suspense is not good for politics and the fact that we now know the extent of the “haircut” on the loans and the level of long-term economic value has stabilised the situation.
Hope for Cowen after all? (Photo: Brenda Fitzsimons)
The gap is closing. But as last year, it’s in which direction the don’t knows jumpthat will determine this referendum.
Some 46 per cent backing the treaty isn’t where the Yes camp thought they would be at this stage of the game. The only consolation that they can take from the eight point drop in support is that it has not migrated to the No camp but rather into the Don’t Know group. But the experience of last year will show us that even though there is a 17 per cent gap between Yes and No, which is at 29 per cent, that gap is not insuperable.
Mamma mia, here we go again, another Lisbon referendum, if the heavy hints being dropped by Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin are anything to go by. He said on RTE last night a decision on the issue would be made in advance of the next EU summit in Brussels on 11 and 12 December. (more…)
Its time to stop talking recession, turn off the negative media and focus on the getting back to basics and gr...
As 2011 gets underway and the spotlight remains firmly on company directors, it is essential that those leadin...
With the announcement this week of Apple’s umpteenth app being downloaded for their “life changing” iPho...
Paddy Cosgrave’s first venture, which he co-founded with Oisín Hanrahan in early 2009 on the back of the Eu...
Product development teams: It is suggested that cross-functional teams are conducive in a high change environm...
Time management is one of the absolute essential business skills. These are the skills that make the differenc...
I’m constantly amazed by the number of times that customers express their surprise by the prompt response th...
reduced stamp duty payments, reduced flow of VAT from sales of new properties, no corporation tax, and no c...
If you’re in a panic because January 1 has already passed, but you’re still digging under fast food contai...
Leadership is a vital part of any business. Poor leadership can have a devastating effect on staff morale, whi...