DON'T USE VOTE TO GIVE COWEN A BLOODY NOSE; Labour's plea to public before Lisbon poll..

Byline: NIALL MOONAN

FED-UP voters were urged yesterday to resist the temptation of giving Taoiseach Brian Cowen a bloody nose over Lisbon - and wait until after the poll.

Labour MEP Nessa Childers said an electorate disgusted over Nama and the politicians' expenses fiasco could be ready to deliver a No vote body blow to Fianna Fail.

But she urged: "The country is in a right mess. And, yes, it is tempting to use the vote on October 2 to give Cowen and Co a bloody nose they'll never forget.

"I say we should hold our fire. We will get our chance in the coming months to put them out of power. Fianna Fail can wait - Europe can't."

Ms Childers said she was calling for a Yes vote because she wants Ireland to stay in the European "Champions' League" of 27 top nations.

And she said doing so would help drag us out of the economic mire.

We sell four out of 10 products and services to Europe - and rejecting the treaty, she claims, will leave us out of the loop.

Ms Childers added: "I'm a mother of two. Like every parent in Ireland, I want what's best for them. And as a member of a family who fought hard to win Irish freedom, I would not support something that's bad for Ireland and bad for its future.

"As a newly enlarged club of 27, the EU needs new rules to make it work better.

"And significantly, the Charter of Rights attached to the Treaty will guarantee the rights of Irish workers to be represented by their trade unions.

"But to make this happen, Ireland has to be on the EU first team and not on the terraces shouting abuse." MEP Childers said that because 40% of everything produced here is sold to Europe, saying 'No' will give two fingers to our neighbours.

They include products from computer giants Intel and Microsoft.

The MEP added: "Ireland should be confident enough to tog out with the biggest and best in Europe. A vote for the Lisbon Treaty will be a truly historic step and will help set us back on the road to recovery."

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