Ireland votes today

The Irish are going to the polls today in the one and only referendum on the Constitutional Reform Lisbon Treaty. As things stand it is unlikely to the point of impossibility that Britain should have a referendum. Of course, a no vote is desirable but as my colleague on EUReferendum, Richard North, has pointed out, there are strong rumours that a plan to deal with that possibility is in place in Brussels. Mind you, he is relying on journalists for information and they often get things wrong. On the whole, yet more chicanery is likely to give the eurosceptc cause more support in various member states. The small ones, in particular, will not like to see one of their colleagues being pushed out of the way so disdainfully.