What Is A Referendum? Give Three Examples of UK Referendums. Evaluate the Main Arguments Against The Use of Referendums.

In May 2011, a referendum was undertaken to decide whether or not to change the UK voting system. The electorate was given a choice between the first past the post voting system and the alternative vote. The liberal democrats and the conservatives agreed to hold this referendum as part of their coalition agreement. The first past the post voting system works to the detriment of the Lib Dems and they favour a system more proportionally representative. The conservatives wouldn’t agree to a referendum asking about drastic changes to the voting system however so a vote on the alternative vote was put forward to the electorate. The two coalition parties campaigned against each other, the conservatives wanting first past the post to survive and be validated and the lib dems hoping for a more proportional system. The result was that 68% of the voters wanted to keep first past the vote and only 32% wanted to change to the alternative vote. As a result no changes were made to the UK voting system.

The referendum of 1997 was a policy commitment of the UK Labour Party in the 1997 General Election and was held in the Labour Government’s first term after the Election. In the 1997 election new labour promised the Scots and the welsh referendums regarding devolution. The Welsh were offered administrative devolution; they were offered an assembly but not a parliament. The Scots were offered legislative and financial devolution. The referendums were carried out in 1998, the result of the welsh referendum was a 50.3% vote in favour and the creation of the welsh assembly; the result of the Scottish referendum was a yes to both financial and legislative devolution. 74% voted ‘yes’ to a Scottish parliament and 64% ‘yes’ for financial devolution.

c) Evaluate the main arguments against the use of referendums.

Referendums are inconsistent with the belief of parliamentary sovereignty and undermine it. Consulting the public to make decisions is in conflict with the idea of indirect democracy – in which better informed representatives are supposed to make decisions on the basis of deliberation and debate. In comparison to politicians, the general public is poorly informed, often indifferent, inexperienced and susceptible to baseless rhetoric. There is the argument therefore that their capacity to make sound judgement is lesser than that of politicians, and the use of referendums will result in poor decisions; the public’s interests are best safeguarded therefore by politicians rather than the fickle general populace. Some argue referendums may result in the ‘tyranny of the majority’ – how will the interests of minorities by safeguarded against those of the majority? Referendums allow governments to absolve themselves of the responsibility to make decisions they have been elected into; there is the argument that they create an irresponsible government. The regular use of referendums may therefore, create public apathy if they see the government as not performing its duties.  

Some argue referendums give too much power to the government. Governments choosing when and whether to call a referendum, as well as being free to repeat them and phrase them may give the government too much influence over the outcome, especially when coupled with the problem of financing the campaigns. Funding differences can affect the result as government money may favour one campaign group. Combined this may undermine the legitimacy of referendum results.

A low turnout can distort results. Only 34% of those who could have voted in the "Do you want a Mayor for London?" actually voted. 72% of these voted 'yes', 28% voted 'no'. But 66% of Londoners failed to vote at all. This low turnout clearly favoured the supporters of the Mayor. A split turnout may result in no decisive result, for welsh devolution there was a 51/49 divide.

Issues raised in referendums may also be too complex for a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote to cover, or for the public to understand. This may lead to the public tending to vote for the side supported by their favoured politicians, rather than taking time to inform themselves. There are alternative ways for the public to express their opinion in-between elections – such as opinion polls or petitioning.