Result points to class-driven divide in voting patterns

THE referendum on the fiscal treaty has exposed growing divisions among groups of voters.

Polls taken during the campaign, and the results from around the country, remind us that the EU appeals more strongly to some groups of voters than others. Moreover, the fiscal discipline embedded in the treaty had an even more narrow appeal.

It is not possible to come to concrete conclusions based on the outcomes of a single election, but there is a growing sense that a left-right divide is beginning to emerge in Irish politics. The growth of Sinn Féin support and the emergence of the ULA at the general election in Feb 2011, coupled with some class-based patterns at the referendum, suggest that the economic crisis may be driving slow change in the alignment of Irish voters.