Yes lobby ahead but lead cut by eight points

THE Yes side remains ahead in the Lisbon Treaty battle, but its lead has been cut since June, causing fresh worry for Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

Just 24 hours after Mr Cowen said a Yes vote was crucial to Ireland’s economic future, a new poll showed the number of people intending to support the treaty was down eight points to 46%.

That is comfortably ahead of the 29% intending to vote no, but the distance between the two sides has closed in the last three months.