David Campbell-Bannerman: Irish ‘bullied’ into voting Yes

David Campbell-Bannerman has released the following press release:

Irish ‘bullied’ into voting Yes

The Eastern Counties MEP for the UK Independence Party, David Campbell Bannerman has described the result of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty as: “A triumph for political bullying” and a “dark day for democracy.”

Mr Campbell Bannerman, who is also UKIP’s Deputy Leader said: “The fact is, this referendum should never have been held at all. The Irish people voted NO last year and that should have been an end to it. Unfortunately, the political system under which we now live does not allow dissent and if you give the ‘wrong’ answer, you must vote again.

“To ensure the result they wanted, the political establishment has pulled out all the stops. Any rules about balanced media coverage were suspended and the European Commission broke its own rules by spending €1.2 million on a huge advertising campaign. Any number of Commissioners, including its President, have been to Ireland to campaign for a YES vote. In contrast, anyone who dared speak out against the Lisbon Treaty was immediately vilified.

“The Irish people have been bullied into making this huge mistake, which may ultimately mean that the EU no longer ever need to consult voters in any member country, because the Lisbon Treaty is self-amending. It really is a dark day for democracy. However, this is not the end of the story. There is nothing more precious than our basic freedoms, which are being undermined by the EU. We can never give up this fight, so the battle will go on.”