Will the Irish ensure Europe is an issue at the Tory Party Conference?

It has officially been announced today that the second Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty will take place on Friday 2nd October.

That will come at the end of the week in which the British Labour Party conference takes place and a couple of days before the Conservatives gather in Manchester for our party conference.

If the Irish vote No, then it would surely be the final nail in the coffin of the Lisbon Treaty; but if there is a Yes vote - as polls currently suggest will be the case - then I imagine it will increase the pressure on David Cameron to explain precisely how he intends proceeding on the issue if the treaty has been passed by all EU member states at such a time as he becomes Prime Minister next year...

Jonathan Isaby