The people of Ireland went to the poles in June 2008 and told the European Union that it rejected totally the Lisbon Treaty. The votes registered were 53.4% against the treaty and 46.6% for the treaty, which seeks to:

1. Create a EU president ( President of European Council)
2. Create a new post of High Representative for Foreign Affairs
3. Change from votes requiring unanimity to majority voting

Many countries in the EU were denied a referendum and the United Kingdom government who promised their citizens a referendum failed to honour their word. The only countries still to ratify the Lisbon Treaty are the Czech Republic, Ireland and Poland.

In one of the biggest denials of democracy in the western world, both Europe and the Irish Government decided to ignore the Irish vote and hold another referendum in order to get the result they wanted. As such Irish voters went back to the poles in October 2009 and 'What a Surprise' both Europe and the Irish Government got their result.

In fact just 16 months after their first vote rejecting the treaty the Irish Government managed to achieve a 20.5% swing in favour of the treaty, with votes for the treaty jumping from 46.6% in 2008 to approx. 67.1% in 2009 and votes against the treaty dropping from a legal rejection of 53.4% in 2008 to just 32.9% in 2009.

The European Union and the Irish Government have denied the citizens of the EU and especially Ireland their democratic right to be heard and once heard for that decision to be final but having been dealt a result they didn't want Ireland faced the threat of repeat referendums until it gave Europe and their Government the answer they appeared determined to achieve. 

Across the EU political leaders welcomed the result and urged the leaders of Poland and the Czech Republic to ratify the Lisbon Treaty urgently, for they now face the threat of a British referendum should the Tories win, before all nations ratify.

Europe may have won this battle, leaving a bitter taste behind and rumours of fowl play, but all that has happened is that more people than ever, are determined to see the UK leave the EU, for these are not the values, morals and principles that we hold dear. 

If we held a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, including our membership of the EU how would you vote? And what about those people you voted into office to represent your views at Westminster and Stormont, how would they vote, how representative of your views are they? We'll ask our local East Belfast MLA's and MP's their views on your behalf - watch this space...