’Yes’ means ‘yes’, ‘no’ means ‘no’ and no vote means ...

AT the start of the sustained loveliness that was the fiscal compact referendum campaign, the logic touted by psephologists, and other pointy-headed types, was that a low turnout would mean doom for the ‘yes’ side: if sensible (or compliant) middle Ireland was not mobilised, the process would be hijacked by disgruntled fringe voters protesting the household charge, or bogs, or the increasing prevalence of man-boobs.

Several, leading government figures all-but-admitted this risk, and, in the few days before the vote last week, dialled up the scare-o-meter to eleven with talk of ‘difficult’ budgets and an Ireland so ravaged we’d look back on the famine with fondness.

Yet the referendum was comfortably carried and with a fairly small turnout.