Referendums have a positive impact on democracy and politics in the UK

Introduction:

• A referendum is a popular vote on a particular issue, usually requiring a yes/no vote. It’s an example of direct democracy within a representative system.

• In the UK, there is no constitutional mechanism requiring them to be held → instead the PM calls them whenever they think is necessary.

• Referendum results are not legally binding (they are advisory) → need to be approved by Parliament afterwards, which has legal sovereignty.

For: Referendums do have a positive impact as they involve the people in politics, including between elections.

• Referendums enhance democracy by directly involving the public in major decisions, on which the electorate has the right to be consulted on.

• 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum → Example of an issue best decided by the Scottish people themselves (arguably shouldn’t be decided by anyone else).

• Isolates important single issues for a clear public verdict, especially when trust in politicians is low or when issues cut across party lines (so real choice can’t be given in a GE).

• 2016 Brexit Referendum → Public opposed Parliament (75% of MPs backed Remain), showing the divide.

• Result led to Brexit being implemented and more pro-Brexit MPs elected in 2017 & 2019.

• Referendums between elections give people a voice more often, preventing government from becoming too remote/unaccountable.

• Acts as a check on ‘elective dictatorships’ while complementing representative democracy, rather than threatening/undermining it.

• Electoral Commission regulation ensures fairness → controls spending & reviews question wording.

• 2016 EU Referendum example → Original question ("Should the UK remain in the EU?") was revised for neutrality to: "Should the UK remain a member of the EU or leave the EU?

Against: Challenge representative democracy and electorate can be seen as ill-informed

• Referendums challenge parliamentary sovereignty and representative democracy in the UK.

• UK system is based on elected representatives making decisions, not direct democracy (this was standard until the 1970s).

• Ordinary people may lack expertise on complex issues, which referendum questions/campaigns often oversimplify.

• Voters can be misled by political leaders and campaigns.

• 2016 Brexit Referendum → Electoral Commission found both campaigns distorted facts.

  • Leave campaign exaggerated EU immigration impact & falsely claimed £350M/week would go to the NHS.

• Referendums can be highly divisive and disrupt representative democracy, conflicting with parliamentary sovereignty.

• EU Referendum example → Parliament mostly backed Remain, but voters chose Leave, leading to Brexit-related political turmoil.

• Post-referendum Brexit debates led to calls for a second referendum, backed by many MPs.

• Brexit dominated politics for 4 years until the COVID pandemic shifted focus.

• Caused a rightward shift in the Conservative Party & Brexit deal struggles, only resolved by the 2019 general election.

Overall judgement

• Overall, referendums benefit representative democracy, but better regulation of campaigns is needed.

• Brexit campaign was divisive and challenged representative democracy, but this was due to Parliament not reflecting public opinion.

• Misinformation in Brexit was unique and could be prevented with stricter Electoral Commission oversight.

• Referendums engage the public in key constitutional decisions, ensuring they have a say.

• They enhance representative democracy, making it more responsive rather than weakening it.

For: Held due to public pressure and gives key constitutional issues legitimacy

• Referendums are often held due to public demand, especially when Parliament does not reflect public opinion, ensuring democratic representation.

• 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum → Called due to the SNP’s rising popularity and polling showing strong support for independence among the Scottish population.

• 2016 Brexit Referendum → Reflected growing support for leaving the EU, demonstrated in the 2014 European Parliament elections, where UKIP won 26.6% of the vote and became the largest party.

• Referendums help legitimise major constitutional changes. Since Blair’s government, it has become common to seek public approval before implementing significant, irreversible reforms.

• They reinforce the legitimacy of constitutional decisions, making them less likely to be reversed, even with the UK’s uncodified constitution.

• Devolution referendums in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland ensured that newly established devolved governments had public legitimacy.

Against: referendums are sometimes held to benefit individual parties

• Referendums can be called for party political reasons, benefiting parties rather than being driven by democratic necessity, which can negatively impact UK democracy.

• 1975 EEC Referendum → Harold Wilson used the referendum to avoid splitting Labour over Europe, as making a decision himself could have weakened his leadership.

• 2016 Brexit Referendum → David Cameron pledged the vote to counter UKIP’s rise before the 2015 election, helping the Conservatives retain voters and win.

• Referendums can also be used to push a party’s preferred policy, rather than reflecting strong public demand.

• 2011 Alternative Vote Referendum → Important to the Liberal Democrats, but lacked public support (68% voted no, 42.2% turnout).

Overall judgement

• Referendums can enhance democracy, but they are sometimes used for party political reasons instead.

• This doesn’t mean they should be abolished, but their use should be regulated.

• A law should be introduced to ensure referendums are only held for key constitutional issues.

• Possible regulation → Require public support through an e-petition before a referendum can be called.

For: Engage voters and increase political awareness

• Referendums can benefit democracy by engaging voters and raising political awareness on important constitutional issues.

• The 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum was praised for allowing a wide range of debates (e.g., economic impact, Trident).

  • 84.6% turnout, with 16-17-year-olds able to vote, highlighted widespread public interest.

• 2016 Brexit Referendum also had a high turnout (72.2%), higher than recent general elections.

  • Many disillusioned voters felt empowered to have a say on key issues.

  • Educated the public on EU's impact on sovereignty and trade.

• Local referendums can also see high turnout if the issue is relevant to people’s lives.

  • 2005 Edinburgh Congestion Charge referendum → 74.4% no vote on a 61.7% turnout, showing voter engagement when the issue is seen as important.

Against: Doesn’t engage voters and leads to voter protests

• While recent referendums had relatively high turnouts, this is not typical, and many referendums struggle to engage voters, questioning the legitimacy of the result.

• 2011 Alternative Vote Referendum → Only 42.2% turnout despite being a national vote.

• 1997 Welsh Devolution Referendum → 50.3% 'yes' vote on 50.1% turnout, raising concerns about representation.

• 2011 Welsh Further Devolution Referendum → Just 35.6% turnout, questioning the level of public support.

• Local referendums often have even lower turnouts.

  • 2012 Birmingham Mayor referendum → 27.6% turnout.

  • 2012 Bristol Mayor referendum → 24.1% turnout.

• Many voters in referendums may not vote on the constitutional issue itself but as a protest against the political system.

• Brexit Referendum → Many voters supported leaving the EU due to feelings of being 'left behind' by the UK political system, not just EU issues.

• 2011 AV Referendum → Rejection of AV partly driven by anti-Liberal Democrat sentiment following their controversial decision on tuition fees after the 2010 election.

Overall judgement

• Recent referendums have shown how they can engage voters and increase political awareness.

• Low turnouts in some referendums may stem from them being driven by party motivations rather than public demand, making them negative for UK democracy.

• In the future, referendums should only be held if there is significant public support, which could be ensured through an act of Parliament.

Conclusion

• In conclusion, referendums generally have a positive impact on UK democracy and politics.

• However, there should be a law requiring sufficient public support (e.g., through an e-petition or as part of a winning election manifesto) before holding a referendum.

• While referendums can challenge representative democracy, this is mostly because Parliament isn’t sufficiently representative.

• They play a key role in legitimizing constitutional issues and engaging the public in important political matters.