The Government in Dublin will not be winning popularity polls among the leaders of the European Union right now. The result of its referendum on the Lisbon Treaty is, let’s face it, downright inconvenient, for without complete unanimity, reform of the EU cannot proceed. But, for us, it also prompts some wider reflections on the answers sometimes thrown up by consultation exercises.

In theory, the referendum is the highest form of consultation. It probably engages more people and forces a verdict – one way or another. But critics have always argued that referenda organised by Governments rarely manage to confine the debate to the issue supposedly meant as the focus of attention. All sorts of extraneous factors come into the equation, usually the popularity – or unpopularity of the Government itself.