Lisbon - It's Simple.

It amazes me how both Yes & No camps have danced around the real issue of the Lisbon Treaty. Each adding to confusion. I simply don't understand why someone doesn't get up on a soap box and say "it's all about power - isn't it though?"

Why would we vote NO? Not because we are afraid our youngest sons will be sent to a non existent war or that our daughters will corrupted by the evils of abortion (all you need is a cheap seat on ryanair for that?) but because when in a position of power why would you choose to dilute it? If given a choice between having more or less control any genius would hold on dear to their all powerful position?

This is where the Yes camp is failing. The Lisbon Treaty is essentially about equality - sharing the power in a fairer way than lets say eurovision . The EU is bigger and better than what we first called the EEC - as the game changes we must adapt (a bit like introducing video refereeing). The EU has always tried to be fair and all members (including us) shared in the benefits of it's membership but no doubt in certain incidents we lost out. We've compromised on the smaller issues to gain in the bigger picture. If we vote Yes this will still be the case. There will always be risk and compromise - how successful can you be in anything without either of those controversial ingredients?

Now for a classy metaphor! All around the country children are starting back at school. Due to the recession a few students won't have all their books. Your child luckily though has been kited out with new books and a pencil case full of pens and pencils. Would you feel ashamed if your child who is in a better position than the child next to him/her refuses to share their textbook or lend a pen? They'll be right though? I mean that other child could take that pencil and never return it? Or smudge or write on their schoolbook? We all teach all children (as our parents taught us) to be fair, and share but do we practice what we preach?

Soon we'll go to vote again and I hope Yes passes because not only it is the right thing to do but the clever one as well. However if No passes I hope we're big and bold enough to stand behind it say yes we know we're being spoilt brats but thanks very much we don't want to lose our head start (we know that if your people voted they'd think the same). I don't think I could stomach another "Oh really? Oh I didn't understand it! I know it was explained three times over every day for months on end on TV and radio and I do have access to the internet as well and people calling to my house to explain it as well as leaflets but I just don't get it."

I prefer the rest of Europe think of us as ungrateful rather than plain ignorant.