What would radically change events is defeat at the polls

The stakes could not be higher for Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, writes Gerard Howlin.

UR decision, in just more than 100 days, on the proposed 36th Amendment to the Constitution will be important historically.

Given the variations on a theme that are the effective choice for government make-up, it may be a more important choice than the next general election. Referenda are not, as the Taoiseach characterised this issue in his statement of Monday night, shades of grey. They are black and white in that we, the people, will have a binary choice, to answer yes or no to a specific question. Ultimately the nuance and the detail, of which there is much, will come down to a simple choice. Except there is nothing simple about it.