Referendums

Question 1

What are the 3 UK referendums ever to have taken place?

Answer 1

1975 EU membership
2011 Alternative vote for Westminster elections (67.9% No)
2016 EU membership

Question 2

Evidence that referendums improve democracy

Answer 2

> Citizens can override the politicians
Increase voter turnout - 84.6% for Scottish independence
Improves popular understanding which a democracy relies on - £33,000,000 used on 2016 EU referendum so most of public encountered campaigning at some point
Legitimised important changes
-Good Friday Agreement 1998 (71.1% Yes)
-Scottish Parliament creation 1997 (74.3% Yes)

Question 3

Evidence that referendums do not improve democracy

Answer 3

> No prescribed circumstances where a referendum should take place, used to resolve party issues - 2016 EU
Undermine Parliamentary sovereignty by overriding MPs prevailing will
Those who will be affected by the result may not be of voting age
Can be distorted by false claims or media bias - Boris Johnson claimed £350 would be saved a week by leaving EU
Only Yes/No questions leaving much unresolved - N. Ireland border in leaving theEU
Boycotts can reduce turnout leading to improper result - N. Ireland to remain part of UK referendum 1973
Spending regulations cannot be enforced - EU ref. overspent, so fine of £70,000 but changed nothing
Can be reversed by a future referendum

Question 4

What is a referendum?

Answer 4

A vote by the public on a single binary issue

Question 5

What is a mandate?

Answer 5

Parliament’s legitimacy to act on the result of a referndum

Question 6

Referendum with strongest mandate

Answer 6

Northern Ireland - Good Friday Agreement 1998

81% turnout and 71% ‘yes’ vote

Question 7

Referendum with weakest mandate

Answer 7

Greater London Authority Referendum 1998

34.1% turnout and 72% ‘yes’ vote