EOIN BURKE KENNEDY's REFERENDUM NOTEBOOK:A controversial leaflet advocating a No vote in the treaty referendum is to be distributed to every home in the country in the coming days courtesy of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) grouping in the European Parliament.
The document, emblazoned with the words “Fiscal Union: The treaty that condemns you to perpetual debt”, is fronted with a photograph of UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage.
The EFDs eight-page booklet, which is heavily critical of Yes campaigners, also depicts a rather hapless-looking Phil Hogan carrying a fiscal union scroll and being dangled over a waste-paper bin under the headline “Achtung! Do not become slaves to debt”.
A spokesman for the EFD group told The Irish Times yesterday that the group had printed just under two million leaflets, and that the printing and postage costs were being funded by the European Parliament under its communications allowance.
Quote of the Day
““This is like being offered a ticket for the Titanic and saying if you don’t get your ticket now you are going to miss the boat. Well, that’s one boat that there’s no harm missing,” – Libertas founder and businessman Declan Ganley on being asked to vote Yes in the referendum
Survey finds business back Yes vote
Six out of seven business people are planning to vote Yes in the referendum, a Dublin Chamber of Commerce survey has revealed.
Eighty-six per cent said they would support the referendum, while 83 per cent believed that a No vote would impact negatively on the economy. Seventy-nine per cent felt that it would damage their businesses, while 60 per cent believed that passing the referendum would be positive for investment.
The survey also revealed that business people were engaged in the debate in and outside the work place.
Seventy-three per cent had discussed it with family; 62 per cent with friends; 58 per cent with co-workers; 37 per cent with professional colleagues outside their company.