Margaret Thatcher think-tank has admitted to encouraging its Irish members to vote No to Nice. The Bruges Group, named after the Belgian city in which the Iron Lady delivered her most vitriolic attack on Europe, told Quidnunc it did not give money to the No lobby.
However, it did use its newsletter to tell Irish members that a pro-Nice vote would undermine Irish independence.
Robert Oulds, the Bruges Group chief executive, said it pointed out that the Brussels reprimand to Ireland over its budget was a harbinger of worse things to come. "They are now trying to get you to 'harmonise' your corporation tax with the rest of Europe, i.e. raise your tax."
This is classic Thatcherite stuff. We asked Oulds if the Bruges Group was comfortable being in the same camp as Sinn FΘin. "I could not comment on that," he said.
