No camp claims State ‘played on people’s fears’

FEAR was the major factor in the resounding Yes vote, anti-Lisbon campaigners have claimed.

Mary Lou McDonald of Sinn Féin, the only Dáil party to campaign against the treaty, accused the Yes side of using “dishonourable” tactics to scare people who felt financially vulnerable.

Referring to the economic climate, she said: “You had a situation where not just the Government, but the opposition parties too and others, sent a very clear message to people which was as follows: ‘If you’re unemployed, there will be no jobs if Lisbon goes down. And if you’re fearful about your job or about your economic future, you’ve no option but to vote this treaty through.’ And I think not alone was that an inaccurate message... I believe that it was a very dishonourable message to deliver to people who feel very vulnerable. But it seems to have worked,” she said.

Socialist MEP Joe Higgins said the Yes campaign had been scaremongering on one hand and making promises that would not be kept on the other.

“Bullying and fear was combined with extravagant promises about jobs and economic recovery,” Mr Higgins said. “I congratulate those voters who stood up against the intimidation and threats and voted No. I understand the anxiety of many who voted Yes in the hope of better job prospects and security.

“But any hope that this result will bring the promised jobs or economic recovery will unfortunately be quickly dashed.”

Patricia McKenna of the People’s Movement said the Yes side’s posters, whose messages she summarised as “ruin or recovery”, had “tapped into the genuine fears” of voters.

“Those on the Yes side now have a responsibility to deliver on jobs and economic recovery,” she said. “They cannot make promises and then turn their backs on the voters once they cast their vote.”

Cllr Richard Boyd Barrett of the People before Profit Alliance predicted that the Government’s celebrations would be short-lived.

“I think the Government now have a hell of a lot to live up to in that they’ve suggested that passing Lisbon would deliver jobs and deliver economic recovery,” he said. “I think there’s absolutely no chance of that happening, and that’s going to become apparent very quickly.”