Evidence - Democracy and Participation

Question 1

What was the turnout percentage for the Brexit referendum in 2016?

Answer 1

72%

51.89% voted to leave the EU.

Question 2

How many times has the Recall of MPs Act been used since 2015?

Answer 2

6 times

5 petitions surpassed the 10% threshold.

Question 3

What was the voter turnout for the Scottish Independence Referendum in 2014?

Answer 3

84.6%

Yes: 44.70%, No: 55.30%

Question 4

What was the estimated total cost of the 2016 EU Referendum?

Answer 4

£150 million

Question 5

What percentage of 18-24 year-olds voted in the 2015, 2017, and 2019 elections?

Answer 5

just above 50%

Question 6

What is the term for voters who regret their previous voting decision, particularly regarding Brexit?

Answer 6

Bregret

Question 7

What significant change did the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 introduce?

Answer 7

Gives the Prime Minister the power to call an election at any time

Question 8

Fill in the blank: The 1832 Great Reform Act disenfranchised 56 boroughs in England and Wales and created _____ new constituencies.

Answer 8

67

Question 9

What was the turnout percentage for the Alternative Vote Referendum of 2011?

Answer 9

42%

Question 10

True or False: The Conservative Party’s membership in 2016 was estimated to be over 400,000.

Answer 10

False

It was under 150,000.

Question 11

What was the voter turnout among 16-17 year-olds in the Scottish Independence Referendum?

Answer 11

75%

Question 12

Which country has implemented an online voting system where almost 1/4 of votes were cast online in the 2011 election?

Answer 12

Estonia

Question 13

What was the public response to the introduction of voter ID by the Conservative government in 2017?

Answer 13

Critics pointed out that there was no real evidence of voter fraud

Question 14

What significant reform did the 1928 Representation of the People Act achieve?

Answer 14

Granted equal voting rights to women and men at age 21

Question 15

What campaign did the Gurkha Justice Campaign successfully achieve?

Answer 15

Gained right of abode for Gurkhas who served in the British military

Question 16

Fill in the blank: The British Medical Association successfully campaigned for a _____ rise in doctors’ wages post-pandemic.

Answer 16

2%

Question 17

What is the primary aim of the Insulate Britain pressure group?

Answer 17

Climate action through direct action

Question 18

What was the outcome of the Just Stop Oil activists’ actions in October 2022?

Answer 18

Two activists were sentenced to around 3 years imprisonment

Question 19

What percentage of the British public agrees that voting is a duty, according to polling in 2023?

Answer 19

Over 70%

Question 20

What significant change did the 1969 Representation of the People Act bring about?

Answer 20

Extended the franchise to men and women over the age of 18

Question 21

What did the National Trust call for in 2022 regarding government policy?

Answer 21

To stay true to its net zero by 2030 obligation and continue to ban fracking

Question 22

True or False: The Stop the War Coalition successfully halted the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Answer 22

False

The Blair government escalated the conflict.

Question 23

What was the main goal of the Howard League pressure group?

Answer 23

To gain voting rights for prisoners

Question 24

Who announced that all Gurkha veterans who had served four years or more in the British Army would be allowed to settle in Britain?

Answer 24

Brown

Question 25

What was the purpose of the Stop the War Coalition in 2003?

Answer 25

To stop the invasion of Iraq

Question 26

Which British Prime Minister escalated the conflict by sending troops to Iraq in 2003?

Answer 26

Blair

Question 27

What ideology influenced Blair's decision to send troops to Iraq?

Answer 27

His war doctrine

Question 28

What was the Conservative Party's shift in thinking during the 1970s largely attributed to?

Answer 28

Margaret Thatcher's patronage of right-wing think tanks

Question 29

Name two right-wing think tanks associated with Margaret Thatcher.

Answer 29

* Centre for Policy Studies * Adam Smith Institute

Question 30

How many parliamentary supporters did the Institute of Economic Affairs have in 2022?

Answer 30

24

Question 31

Which prominent figures supported the Institute of Economic Affairs in 2022?

Answer 31

* Liz Truss * Priti Patel * Kemi Badenoch * Kwasi Kwarteng

Question 32

What did many think tanks, like the Resolution Foundation, warn against?

Answer 32

Brexit

Question 33

Which political party is associated with the Adam Smith Institute?

Answer 33

Conservative Party

Question 34

Which organization is linked with the Labour Party?

Answer 34

Fabian Society

Question 35

Who was a senior advisor to David Cameron and later became a lobbyist at Greensill Capital?

Answer 35

Lex Greensill

Question 36

What did the lobbying firm Best for Britain attempt to achieve?

Answer 36

Another referendum

Question 37

What did the National Farmers Union use to allow the 2013 badger cull?

Answer 37

Their insider status with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Question 38

What was the Hunting Dogs Act 2004 about?

Answer 38

A ban on hunting

Question 39

What pressure group advocates for LGBTQ+ rights?

Answer 39

Stonewall

Question 40

What significant legislation did Stonewall influence in 2020?

Answer 40

The commitment to ban conversion therapy

Question 41

How much did Trade Unions donate to Labour in the last 3 months of 2019?

Answer 41

£4 million

Question 42

Who co-authored the 2019 Conservative Manifesto?

Answer 42

* Robert Colville * Rachel Wolf

Question 43

How many citations did the Institute of Fiscal Studies’ reports receive in government documents from 2015 to 2021?

Answer 43

Over 150

Question 44

Which campaign did Greenpeace successfully lead regarding microbeads?

Answer 44

The Microbeads campaign

Question 45

What concept describes the existence of groups that oppose each other's views?

Answer 45

Countervailing

Question 46

Which two groups represent opposing views on the minimum wage?

Answer 46

* Trade Union Congress (in favor) * Confederation of British Industry (against)

Question 47

What is the estimated size of the UK lobbying industry?

Answer 47

The third largest in the world

Question 48

What was the outcome of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign's efforts in May 2024?

Answer 48

Mass protests in London with 250,000 participants

Question 49

What did the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's 2022 UK Poverty Report examine?

Answer 49

The causes of poverty and its impact

Question 50

Which think tank is responsible for the 'Insights' book series?

Answer 50

Chatham House

Question 51

Name the three think tanks most cited in policy documents between 2015-21.

Answer 51

* Joseph Rowntree Foundation * Institute for Fiscal Studies * National Bureau of Economics Research

Question 52

What lobbying initiative was launched by Entain in response to a government proposition?

Answer 52

The Players Panel

Question 53

What was the goal of the Players Panel campaign?

Answer 53

To encourage opposition to increased restrictions on gambling

Question 54

What did Entain refuse to disclose regarding the Players Panel?

Answer 54

The amount of funding provided