In the same week that the biggest Unionist party in Northern Ireland voted FOR Gordon Brown's 42 days detention without trial (in return for promises of hard cash no doubt), voters in Ireland rejected the Lisbon EU treaty. Which is a Good Thing.

Every time ordinary people in Ireland are given the opportunity to vote on referendums, they seem to always make the right decision. Every time politicians here are given the opportunity to vote on something, they do the exact opposite of what the people want. Alas, the vast majority of people in the north continue vote for the politicians who match their religion and completely disregard everything else.



"Irish voters tore up the European Union’s blueprint for the future yesterday in a dramatic and decisive rejection of the Lisbon treaty.

The result leaves Brussels’ plans to streamline EU power – creating a president and foreign minister and reducing the influence for smaller countries such as Ireland – in tatters.

The 53.4 per cent “no” vote should in theory sign the death warrant of the treaty, which has been eight years in the making, since it requires ratification by all 27 members. Gordon Brown faced immediate calls to scrap British ratification. "