Wexford says Yes to Europe

It won’t be long now until we know the exact result of the second Lisbon Referendum. Voting has been patchy throughout the country and throughout Wexford town. My own ballot box was at about 20% by lunchtime yesterday. I’ve noticed a trend in voters turning out earlier in the day at the 2009 local elections. This is more a lifestyle change as opposed to the rush to vote after tea.
Middle class areas seem to have voted heavier than working class areas within Wexford and this may have been a trend elsewhere. For supporters of the treaty it is vital that Wexford is won. Wexford is a bell weather constituency in Ireland, as Wexford goes so usually does the country. The only exception was Wexford marginally opposed Divorce in 1995. Last time the treaty was lost in Wexford by about 9%. If Lisbon is to be won nationally there is no better place to look for the indication than Wexford.
At the last referendum a high No vote was recorded in Kilmore Quay as fishermen voted No in protest to EU policing of the industry. Elsewhere a late call by the farmers organisation saw the support among farmers for Lisbon well below the usual support for the EU. In Enniscorthy a high No vote was believed to have the local response to the sacking by Brian Cowen of local Minister John Browne. Some people voted no last time in Wexford because the Department of Environment introduced a SPA on Wexford Harbour. The trends toady are less clear other than rural and middle class ares are more supportive than working class areas. We must ask why?

I’ve heard no mention of these issues during this campaign. Having seen the votes being counted today I believe that Wexford will vote Yes this time by a significant majority. The Yes vote will be in excess of 63% and could be as high as 67%. It’s also clear the treaty will be carried nationally. The pictures are of the scene this morning at the Wexford count in Clonard Community Centre in Wexford Town.

So why has Ireland gone Yes? I believe myself the emergence of non-party groups like Generation Yes or Ireland For Europe allowed the argument for Lisbon to be put in a non- party political way. Moreover the emergence of UKIP and return of Libertas injected the negative notion of outside interference to the electorate in a way that Sinn Fein or Coir could not have damaged the No campaign. Having said that the posters by Sinn Fein and Coir suggesting that incomes would drop because of Lisbon were known by the electorate to be wide of the mark and failed to attract support. No lost it rather than Yes winning it.
One final reflection, the debate of the last month was not precisely what was in the treaty but what people thought the effect of the treaty would be. There’s an important difference. Perhaps as the country moves on it’s something we shouldn’t forget

3 Long days journey into night ends but what have we learnt?.

Relief at last! 3 days and over 2 hours after the polls closed the campaign is over. The long wait ended in success. I think I’m the last Labour councillor elected in the country in the local elections of 2009. Dun Mhuire Theatre in Wexford has seen many’s a drama down through the years but there’s been little in the last few days to compare with the ebb and flow of political fortune as votes for Wexford Borough Council were counted at Dun Mhuire.
On Sunday evening Davy Hynes was elected Wexford’s seventh councillor. After midnight on Tuesday morning I was elected as the 8th member. There’s 4 more to join me. The picture shows me being hoisted up by Labour supporters.
It was a biter sweet moment for me as my election was only secured off the back of transfers from my running mate Theresa Walsh who was eliminated after 2 re-counts. This took over 24 hours to establish.
Theresa had fought long and hard and I was very sorry to see her go out. She can be rightly proud of the campaign she fought and the work she did. Theresa lost a week canvassing early on due to a heavy cold. She put in a great performance in the local radio election debate. She’s a great candidate and she’ll be back. The picture of the box shows the moment when her transfers to me actually put me above the quota. Someday, it'll be Theresa getting the votes needed to elect her.

The obligatory shoulder hoist was captured for me by my sons who I’m delighted to have at the count. Being elected to any body once is an honour and privilege. I think the officials tried their best but it’s clear that the town has outgrown the unitary ward model and that we need wards back again. There were too many candidates and too many seats. The ballot paper was so big that I saw it slide off a narrow ledge in a polling station. In those circumstances how could you see my name on a ballot paper as I was third last alphabetically and what chance had the voter to see Walsh, the last of 23 names when the ledge is so narrow?
There’s another side to the long count, the officials who’re still counting on as I type should be in work Tuesday doing the business that they normally do. Instead they’re trying to make the unworkable work. I believe that its time to return to wards within Wexford. Only Wexford, Kilkenny and Clonmel have 12 seat constituencies. The effect of our boundary extension brings extra voters, more candidates and more time wasting. Perhaps going back to the past may solve a problem for 2014? In the meantime spare a thought for the remaining 5 candidates I left beihind in the wee small hours to battle it out for the 4 remaining seats.

Wexford Decides 2009, Labour gains

This morning in Dun Mhuire the ballot boxes were opened and the counting started. I was there for 9 and the first of the votes tumbled from the boxes. The tallymen set to work with their forecasts as to how the result might pan out. The picture is of counting and checking in progress. Last night after polls close the Labour candidates met to pour over how things went. I thought turnout could have been better. On our analysis the newer parts of town didn’t come out to the same extent as older more established parts.
On the available tallies today I’m happy that I’ve increased my vote beyond 2004 and that I’ll be re-elected. What really excites me is that George Lawlor will top the poll and that he will also take a seat in the County Council. Even better news is that Pat Cody will certainly take a seat on Enniscorthy Town Council and Bobby Ireton is looking good for a County seat in Gorey. Ollie Sommers is polling well in New Ross but there’s still a long way to go there. I hate to say I told you so but if you look at my blog I did forecast these results. Theresa Walsh also looks set to take Tommy Carr’s seat. This has been a remarkable election for Labour, its likely that we may come out of it with a minimum of 3 county councillors and 9 Borough or Town Councillors. Lets see what happens on later counts.