Euro treaty debate centres on Aberconwy

Jan 25 2008 by David Williamson, Western Mail

A REFERENDUM on the controversial Lisbon Treaty is to take place in a North Wales retirement hotspot.

A campaign group that wants a UK-wide referendum is financing the vote in Llandudno’s Aberconwy constituency to put pressure on the Westminster Government to hold a UK-wide poll. Ballots must be returned by February 27.

The poll will be paid for by iwantareferendum.com, whose Welsh chairman is Dan Munford, a Welshpool-based businessman who was the Conservative candidate for Montgomeryshire at the last Assembly election.

He believes the Lisbon Treaty is substantially the same as the European Constitution, which was rejected in referendums in France and the Netherlands. Britain should not ratify the treaty, he argues, without a similar vote.

All 44,100 people eligible to vote in Aberconwy will have the chance to take part in the referendum which will be orchestrated by the Electoral Reform Society. The operation is expected to cost in the region of £20,000.

Mr Munford, a 39-year-old father-of-two said, “We want to get as big a turnout as we can because obviously if it’s a low turnout the result won’t be taken as seriously as if we get a lot of people voting – we’ll work very hard on that.”

Describing the decision to hold the vote in Aberconwy, a constituency centred on Llandudno, he said, “An obvious choice might have been to do a Cardiff constituency but why not North Wales? This is an opportunity for North Wales to have its voice and have its say in a mini-referendum.”

Plaid Cymru AM Gareth Jones represents the constituency. More than a quarter of Aberconwy’s population (26.3%) is of retirement age – higher than the Welsh average of 20.4%. Fifty-eight percent of the population are estimated to have been born in Wales.

The electorate of Aberconwy will be asked two questions:

Are you in favour of a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty?

Would you vote Yes or No to the Lisbon Treaty?