Jobless and low paid voted no to fiscal treaty

The majority of low-paid workers and the unemployed voted against the recent EU fiscal treaty referendum, new research has found.

The TNS/Millward Brown survey published by the European Parliament shows that two out of three upper and middle class voters supported the treaty, while the majority of low-paid workers voted against.

Among the highest-ranking occupational or ‘AB’ class, only 20% cast a no vote compared to 66% in favour. Meanwhile, 50% of voters in the lowest ‘DE’ category of unskilled workers, State pensioners and long-term unemployed rejected the treaty, while 42% voted in favour.

Farmers, who are categorised in an occupational class of their own, voted overwhelmingly in favour of the treaty, at 89% yes.

UCD Political Science Professor Richard Sinnott, who led the research, described the finding as “quite striking” given the traditionally low levels of class division in this country.

“Ireland is generally known for not having a class cleavage in its political system. The EU has never been polarised along class lines. So these figures are a straw in the wind, creating a possible emerging linkage between attitudes to European integration and social class,” he said.

Professor Sinnott advised politicians to take the class factor into account when assessing the implications of findings, noting that “given the likelihood of further resort to referendums in the process of European construction, anything that produces class polarisation would, from an integrationist point of view, be unhelpful.”

The opinion poll, taken the day after the referendum, asked 2,000 citizens questions about how, why and if they had voted.

The class divide between yes and no voters was reflected in economic concerns, both in people’s personal financial circumstances and on the wider national platform. Some 77% of those who described their own economic situation as ‘good’ voted in favour of the treaty, compared to 42% against. Of those who said their personal financial situation was “bad” 56% voted no, while just 21% supported the treaty.

However Professor Sinnott said the “overriding factor” in determining the outcome of the referendum was people’s assessment of the impact of a yes vote on Ireland’s economy.

“What really drove the yes and no vote was whether you believed that Ireland’s economic prospects would be improved or disimproved by the outcome,” he said.