People's Democracy The 7-3 vote for Maastricht in the 26 County referend um became increasingly likely in the final days of the campaign, as voters moved away from the No' lobby due to high profile media coverage of the Pro-Life' campaign. Other forces opposing Maastricht were lar. gely ignored.
the 30 per cent vote against the Treaty was quite im• 'Yes' lobbv. This include he four main ponacar partes Labour, the ICTU union federation, big business and farming organisations, and the Council for the Status of Women.
Tax-payers' money was used to fund the Yes' campaign, and the national TV and radio were commandeered by the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) for a Presidential-style broadcast, with no right of reply.
A government sp was widely quoted in the media at the start of the campaign 'We This paper was greeted will haveto strike terror into the hearts of the Irish electorate. And the conduct of the campaign - one of bribes and threats confirmed this strategy:
Until the anti-abortion protocol in the Treaty came to light - with the case of the 14 year old girl denied an abortion - it had seemed that there would be no significant opposition. But this threw the government into disarray.
Recent opinion polls have showed more than 80 per cent against the fundamentalist policies of anti-abortion groups such as SPUC. On this issue alone mass position coulc ave been mobilised against the Treaty.
But the 'Repeal the 8th Amendment' campaign prevaricated when it came challenging the consensus of established women's groups in favour of the EC. So SPUC were allowed to set the agenda.
The Repeal campaign's conference had decided on a 'No' vote. But it stayed sidelines, despite the fact that the Protocol would copper-fasthe case.
In post-referendum intervoted in favour of the Treaty because they alame want freer vote interpreted as pro-SPUC.
When the realities of Maastricht begin to bite - cuts, job losses, and the restructuring of the Irish economy as a more subordinate part of Europe -antipathy towards the political establishment is set to deepen still further.
The role of the labour and trade union bureaucracies in confusing wine considerably gles be considerably weakened.