Captain Kenny needs to steer us away from referendum iceberg

THE Government’s radar needs to be on amber alert. Up ahead lurks an iceberg that could rip our Titanic below the waterline and sink fragile hopes of economic recovery.

Ratification of the EU fiscal compact can become a most hazardous enterprise. We only just scraped through on compliance with the Nice and Lisbon Treaties at second attempts of plebiscites. With a prevailing tailwind of domestic Euroscepticism, omens for public endorsement are bleak.

The difference this time is that if all 17 eurozone states don’t sign up, they will proceed anyway. If only 12 member countries ratify, the inter-governmental deal proceeds, regardless of us. Unanimity is no longer required. We would face the worst of all worlds.