Come on Ireland, vote YES!

We can perhaps be forgiven in Scotland for not noticing that a huge referendum is taking place in the Republic of Ireland on Friday (22nd May). First, we had our own referendum in Sep and then a General Election earlier this month. In truth, we've been really rather busy with our own affairs.

The Irish referendum is not about independence (enviably, the Republic of Ireland is already independent of Westminster) but about another issue of equality: this time, not of governance equality but marriage equality.

There are two opposing camps: YES Equality who favour extending marriage to cover gay relationships and the scaremongering NO group who want to keep marriage between a man and a woman.

Famous celebrities like Bono and Daniel O'Donnell (no, he's not gay and is married already - to a woman) are in support of YES and most of parliament are too, with only five MPs against (out of 226).

When the polls open on Friday, Ireland will become the first country in the world to ask its population to extend equality in this way. Some parallels with Scotland's referendum are apparent, though.

1. Young people are far more likely to vote YES, by a 70-30 split. 
2. The elderly are more traditional and are likely to vote NO. 
3. Recent polls show the YES vote falling and the NO vote increasing.
4. There has been a late surge in voter registrations.

However, one big difference is that the same polls show YES comfortably ahead, ranging from 63-73% with NO ranging from 26-31%. But we know from our own referendum and general election that polls can be rather misleading. So watching the counting on Saturday will be just as nerve-wracking as watching our own.

The question they are being asked is a bit of a legal mouthful and not exactly a punchy phrase that trips off the tongue:

‘Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.’

For a country famous for kissing the Blarney Stone, I'd have expected something more lyrical! But whatever way Ireland votes, it does have implications for social values not just in Scotland and the UK but across Europe and the wider world.

If a staunchly Catholic country like Ireland votes in favour of gay marriage, it will effectively end any right-wing, Conservative dream in the UK that gay equality can be rolled back. This is a social movement, not a political movement. Indeed, all political parties in Ireland are in favour of marriage equality.

Although it is entirely proper that the people of Ireland decide this issue by themselves for themselves, I can't help but want to travel down to Ayr to stand on the shore and shout:

"Come on Ireland, vote YES!"