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Sinn Féin invites Greens to give Lisbon Treaty the red light - McDonald
Published: 21 January, 2008
Following the Green's Lisbon Treaty conference at the weekend where the party failed to secure a two-thirds majority in favour of the treaty Dublin MEP Mary Lou McDonald has invited those seeking a No Vote in the referendum to join with Sinn Féin in securing a better deal for Ireland.
The Dublin MEP said, "Over a third of the party membership did not give
the Lisbon Treaty the green light. Naturally it is a matter for the
party what decision they took. But I would call on those members who
clearly believe that Ireland deserves better than the Lisbon Treaty to
join the campaign to see it defeated.
"Sinn Féin has consistently advocated for a robust and informed
referendum campaign. It is critical that the content of the Lisbon
Treaty be outlined to voters to ensure we fully engage with communities
the length and breadth of the country in this debate.
"There is no doubt that this will be a tough and difficult campaign for
both sides. But I believe that we will be standing with the majority of
people on this island who share our concerns about the direction of the
EU and the power of the larger states.
"It is the responsibility of all political parties and their
representatives to conduct themselves during this debate in an
accountable and mature fashion. To date all we have seen from the Yes
Campaign is scare mongering, mudslinging and little if any substantive
argument based on the content of the Treaty.
"That we in the No Campaign are engaging in this debate and putting
forward an alternative vision for Europe is evidence alone that we are
not anti European. We simply believe that the Lisbon Treaty is a bad
deal for member states and that the people of Europe deserve better."
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