Yes vote down to helping economy

MOST people voted for the Lisbon Treaty second time around because they believed the EU was good for the country rather than because of the guarantees on abortion, neutrality and tax. A third of the No vote was a protest against politicians and government policies.

But the big change was in the number of women who voted Yes. A third more voted for the Treaty second time around, a result put down to women organising their own campaign.

A survey carried out by the European Commission showed that a third of those who voted Yes did so in the hope that it would help the economy – three times more than in the first referendum.