referendums

Question 1

what is a referendum?

Answer 1

• a vote in which may be national, regional or local in which qualified voters are asked about a proposal where the answer is either yes or no.

Question 2

why is there now more support for referendums?

Answer 2

-concern over the declining levels of participation and citizen disengagement, as well as this a loss of trust of politicians has prompted many countries to adopt referendums as a means of resolving disputes.
-implications of the constitutional reforms introduced by new labour since 1997
-positive response to the use of referendums at home and abroad.

Question 3

how are referendums seen as incompatible with representative democracy as practised in the UK?

Answer 3

• low turnout in both national and local UK referendums has raised concerns over the legitimacy of results.
  -undermine parliamentary sovereignty by transferring decision making power to the people and away from elected representation in parliament, becomes more of an issue when the view of the public doesn’t fit with the view of the majority of MP’s or the gov.

Question 4

process of a referendum?

Answer 4

• governing party adopts a policy that a referendum should be held on an issue
• precise wording is established.
  -legislation is passed in parliament which sets up arrangement like the date.
  -referendum campaign is held and lasts 4-6 weeks usually and is announced and held.
  -the referendum is enacted by Parliament.

Question 5

how have referendums been used in the UK?

Answer 5

• to provide legitimacy to major constitutional changes (like devolution)
• to resolve questions of major constitutional importance (Scottish independence.)
  -settle disputes within the governing party (1975 referendum on continued membership of EEC and 2016 BREXIT)
  -if there are coalition negotiations then they can hold them (AV 2011)
  -fulfil pledges in manifestos (1997 Labour promised in manifesto on institution the position of London Mayor and BREXIT)

Question 6

what was the AV referendum?

Answer 6

• emerged from negotiations between Libdem and conservatives due to coalition.
  -traditionally Cons are opposed to electoral reform.
  -campaign as it is widely accepted was a catalogue of distortions and half truths
  -42% turnout.
  -press favoured current system.
  -cameron had a U-turn on his promise not to campaign
  -combined forces of some leading labour figures and most cons for “no AV” made it hard for labour leader to persuade voters to vote yes.

Question 7

what are the advantages of referendums?

Answer 7

-return to the purest form of Athenian democracy
-they allow the public to be involved in decisions that may not be specific to a general election.
-they confer legitimacy to major constitutional changes such as devolution.
-the public are more willing to accept a political decision they have participated in.

Question 8

what are the disadvantages of referendums?

Answer 8

-outcome may depend on media bias
-outcome may depend on the charisma of the campaign leaders
-the referendum might be used as a popularity vote on a government or politician
-referendum may be used to allow a government to pass the decision making onto the public.

Question 9

when and what was the Scottish independent referendum?

Answer 9

-2014
-Scots voted on whether to remain part of the UK
-55% of voters ended up voting remain

Question 10

why did the EU referendum happen?

Answer 10

-2014 David Cameron committed his party to holding the election due to his growing backbench eurosceptism, he hoped to restore his authority over his party by quelling the rebellion over Europe.

Question 11

why was Cameron positive of a remain outcome? and what was the outcome?

Answer 11

-supposed to be an unequal struggle between the entire political establishment and different business leaders vs UKIP and a few figures from the Con party.
-expectation that faced with the prospect of irreversible change the electorate would stick with the devil they know.
-outcome was that 52% voted leave, due to the recruitment of senior figures like Boris Johnson and Micheal Gove and backing of the Sun, Daily Mail and Telegraph.