3.2- referendums

Question 1

what were the result and turnout of the 2016 EU referendum?

Answer 1

• 72.2% turnout
• 52% voted to leave

Question 2

what was spending in the 2016 EU referendum?

Answer 2

• each campaign was given the right to spend up to £7 million
• and £600,000 in public funds

Question 3

what % of mps supported remain?

Answer 3

76% of MP’s supported remain.

Question 4

what were the result and turnout of the 2011 AV referendum?

Answer 4

• 42.4% turnout
• 32% voted in favour

Question 5

how did the electoral commission change the wording of the EU refereundum?

Answer 5

originally: “should the UK remain in the eu”
changed: “should the UK remain in the eu or leave”

Question 6

what characterised the no campaign in the 2011 AV referendum?

Answer 6

• conservatives and DUP took a desisive “no” position
• they used the unpopularity of the lib dems as part of their campaign
• lib dems broke their promise to scrap tution fees, and instead increased them in coalition
• the no vote in the AV referndum can be seen in part as a protest vote

Question 7

what was the result and turnout of the 2014 scottish independence referendum?

Answer 7

• 84.6% turnout
• 45% in favour

Question 8

what were the key issues in the independence campaign?

Answer 8

• north sea oil- a way to maintain the independent scottish economy
• currency
• devolution (promised by the better together campaign)
• EU membership
• tridant

Question 9

what was the result and turnout of the 1998 greater london authority referndum?

Answer 9

• 34.6% turnout
• 72% in favour

Question 10

what was the result and turnout of the 2004 north east devolution referendum?

Answer 10

• 47.7% turnout
• 22% in favour

Question 11

why are referendums heald?

Answer 11

• to give constitutional changes legitimacy
• party motivations: resolve internal party disputes, maintian voters e.g brexit referendum
• public and parliamentary pressure

Question 12

how have referendums changes uk life.

Answer 12

• direct democracy which undermines representative democracy e.g brexit
• high turnouts have shown to engadge more of the population in politics and suggests increasing disatisfaction with the political class
• orients politics alot more aroung brexit divides rather than party divides

Question 13

what are the arguments for referendums

Answer 13

• improve democracy as it involves the people in key desisions between referendums
• allows a single issue to be isolated in a way which cannot happen in a general election
• referndums between elections allows for more regular accountability
• give legitimacy and entrenches key reforms (important due to lack of codification)
• referendums are regulated by the EC

Question 14

what are the arguments against referendums?

Answer 14

• challenges parliamentary sovereignty and representative democracy: referendums can oversimplify complex issues
• referendums are called in party iterest rather than public interest
• popular pariticipation is often low
• results can be influenced by factors other than the referndum question e.g 2011

Question 15

what was the electoral commisions reflection on the EU referendum?

Answer 15

• on both sides of the campaign there had been a degree of distortion, suggesting the need for greater campaign regulation

Question 16

what was the result and turnout of the 1997 welsh devolution referendum?

Answer 16

• 50% turnout
• 50% in favour

Question 17

what are the potential reforms to referendums?

Answer 17

• more referendums
• greater threasholds for contitutional changes
• regulating when referendums can be called so they arent called due to party polictics e.g if an e petition gets sufficient signatures