Irish Voters Reject Establishment and Vote NO to EU Lisbon Treaty

• Lisbon Treaty makes the EU more undemocratic
• Lisbon Treaty increases the militarisation of the EU and undermines Irish neutrality.
• Lisbon Treaty will lead to further privatisation of public services including health and education.
• Lisbon Treaty will create a Europe committed to the free market and competition and restrict the power of member states acting to defend the public sector and the welfare of citizens.

The Lisbon Treaty has been rejected by Irish voters sparking a crisis for plans to reform European Union structures.

A total of 53.4 per cent voted to reject the treaty, while 46.6 per cent voted in favour. All but 10 constituencies rejected the treaty, with a total of 752,451 voting in favour of Lisbon and 862,415 votes against. Turnout was 53.1 per cent.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen's constituency of Laois Offaly was last to declare a result and voted in favour of the treaty.

Tallies from early on in the count this morning showed the No campaign appeared to be winning in most constituencies across the State, with significant majorities emerging from rural and urban working class areas in particular.

Luxembourg Premier and Finance Minister Jean-Claude Juncker said the defeat of the Lisbon Treaty represents a new "European crisis."

Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, urged all EU states to back the treaty, which is due to come into force on 1 January 2009.

He said the reforms would strengthen the EU to meet global challenges.
Fourteen countries out of the 27 have completed ratification so far.

The Lisbon Treaty replaces a more ambitious draft constitution that was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.

European leaders have said that they have no "plan B" for how to proceed if Ireland's electorate does vote No.

"If the Irish people decide to reject the treaty of Lisbon, naturally, there will be no treaty of Lisbon," French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Thursday night.

More info as it develops HERE.

Kieran Allen, from VoteNo.ie has claimed that the surge in support for the NO side shows that the strategy of the Yes campaign has backfired.
'The political establishment thought they could turn this campaign into a vote for or against the EU. They refused to accept that it was a referendum on what kind of Europe people wanted. They deliberately dodged the details about what was contained in the treaty and treated their opponents as if they were 'irrational'.
'They have failed to address real concerns about the erosion of neutrality, attacks on workers’ rights and a trend towards greater privatisation.
'I expect that the Yes side will resort to a combination of fear-mongering and concessions in the coming week.'We will be told that Ireland will be marginalised; that foreign investment will be scared away; that the No campaign is run by the 'extreme' left or right. The No campaign will need to intensify its efforts and educate ever more people on the dangers the Lisbon Treaty poses to a 'social Europe ' and to Irish neutrality.

Irish Union UNITE on reasons why Irish workers voted No.

CNN coverage HERE