Former Taoiseach Mr John Bruton responded to an Irish Times/MRBI poll today showing a sharp fall in Government support by saying a No vote in the Nice referendum would give the Government an alibi for public spending cuts.
The Fine Gael director of elections for the Nice Treaty Referendum said: "A No vote to Nice would give Fianna Fail an alibi for cuts in spending, which they would try to blame on the economic confidence lost by the No vote, when their own dodgy economic policies would really be to blame.
"The Irish Times pollwas taken two days before Flood was published. I hope that the added, and justified, dissatisfaction with Fianna Fáil will not add to the "No" vote to Nice, because that would be muddled thinking.
"I believe it is muddled thinking for a citizen to hurt herself or himself by voting "No" to Nice, when what she really wants to do is hurt the two government parties.
Mr Bruton said the right time to hurt the government parties is when they themselves, not the people, have something to lose - when they are facing the electorate in the local and European elections.