Ireland votes 'yes' to EU Lisbon treaty
Updated on 03 October 2009
The official result of the Irish referendum showed 67.1 per cent of the vote was in favour of ratifying the treaty - quite a turn around from the rejection 16 months ago. Carl Dinnen reports from Dublin.
It was the economic crisis that won it. Ireland has given its "clear and resounding backing" to the Lisbon treaty,
Prime Minister Brian Cowen declared today, just 16 months after voters threw out the EU reform plan.
Just over 67 per cent, two-thirds, of those who voted in the referendum backed the yes campaign, run by Ireland's main parties, and rejected the no campaign, which was organised by Sinn Fein and a mix of religious and left-wing groups.
The collapse of the Irish economy and the promise of independence on social issues like abortion appears to have swung the vote in favour of the treaty. But what does the decision mean for Britain?
Samira Ahmed interviewed David Miliband.
