Labour leader Eamon Gilmore has urged voters to resist the “natural temptation” to vote No in the Lisbon Treaty referendum to give the Government a kicking.
Mr Gilmore said some voters were “understandably critical” of the Government’s record on education, the heath service, rising prices and the economy in general and that the referendum was the “first opportunity to vote ‘against’ the Government”.
However, he added: “I would urge anyone considering this course of action to think the issue through and to recognise that voting against Lisbon in order to get at the Government would truly be a case of ‘cutting off your nose to spite your face’.
“The fact is that the Lisbon Reform Treaty contains a range of potential benefits for the Irish people that will be lost if the Treaty is not ratified.
“The decision as to how to vote on June 12th should be based on an assessment of the Treaty’s benefits for Ireland and not on a judgement of the Government’s record on domestic issues.”