Learning from Labour

Following fast in the footsteps of Britain’s honest prime minister, the French have decided to tilt the playing field in their vote. Postal ballots probably would have been cheaper, but the French have decided instead on bribes.

The schemes, which uses French government money, will offer students and those on low incomes a subsidy worth €250 (£180) for a return flight, once a year, between Fort-de-France in the Caribbean and France.

So what could be the point of the scheme?

In the 1992 French referendum on the Maastricht treaty, the result, which was decided by a margin of less than one per cent, was swung in favour of the Yes camp at the last moment, when France announced the fortuitous arrival of huge numbers of Yes votes from the Dom-Toms. (Overseas Territories).

Expect votes cast thousands of miles from Europe to be strongly on the yes side.