I believe in binding referendums that are called by popular request or are on a pre-determined dates.I do not believe in non-binding referendums used as a get out of gaol free card by a self serving political elite like the Lib Dems.
Click here to for a brief description of how the Swiss system works
https://www.thelocal.ch/20180523/how-switzerlands-direct-democracy-system-works
Our current Brexit difficulties stem from our self serving political elites views differing hugely from that of the UK population. Frequent binding referendums would dramatically reduce the power of our elites and make it more difficult for corporate lobbyists to influence our government so that instead of them only having 'fix' 650 or so MPs many of whom can be are bribed by various means.they would have to address the views of millions of ordinary voters.
Lib Dems like Ashdown pooh pooh this idea as unworkable.If the Swiss can make it work why can't we? Is it because the need for Ashdown types would disappear? If so our TV news might even become more factual.
From the source I cited above
How many referendums are successfully passed?
The Swiss have been called on to vote around 306 times since 1848 for a total of 617 proposals. In total, 299 proposals have been passed while 334 have been rejected. The numbers don’t match up exactly because single initiatives can sometimes include both a proposal and a counter-proposal.
When it comes to popular initiatives, however, the story is quite different. From 1891 to 2016 some 209 popular initiatives were voted on but only 22 were accepted.
Examples of popular initiatives that have somewhat controversially succeeded include the 2009 initiative to ban minarets, which was described as unconstitutional by the Swiss government, and the 2014 anti-mass immigration initiative.
But it should be noted that in cases where popular initiatives fail, they still play an important role in stimulating political debate and create a level of engagement in – and knowledge about –political issues that can be surprising to people from countries where voting is something you do every four years or so.
Referendums break the power of the media as well, Ask our media what course they did at University. Most did PPE at Oxford just like the politicians they interview on TV. Too many come out of this same cess pit for my liking. BoJo thinks the.same. PPE is not a proper academic course, its for apprentince career politicians and political media types.
Its time we moved on from a parliament rooted in the 1650s to one fit for the internet age. Having two or so binding referendums per year would give the voters a real sense of engagement and also break the power of groups like Momentum. Power to the people not fixed one off pseudo people's votes fixed by Clegg, Major and other has beens.
5 comments:
Democracy? In my area a petition has been served with over 7,000 signatures opposed to the replacement of a roundabout with a signalised junction. The scheme has very few supporters and the chaos of construction does not bear thinking about. Somebody asked me today, do they (my local council) not care about public opinion? No, I do not think they do.
It will be a long time before our mother of parliaments offer a referendum, if ever. This exercise in democracy has been far too dangerous and difficult for our political elite to get their heads around.
The Swiss Franc has increased so much in value compared to the £ in the last 40 odd years, possibly proof that they are better governed than us.
Precisely Mr Fairfax
This has all been worked our by demand four 'The Peoples consent' of The Harrogate Agenda.
If you want a copy of our pamphlet contact me off THA website.
Completely disagree - frequent recourse to a national referendum, whenever there is a difficult issue to sort out is not the way forward.
Look at the current situation. If we were to go down the route of accepting that the calling of a referendum becomes a sort of 'norm', it would be far harder, under the current circumstances, to resist remainers' demands for a second referendum.
It is only because our use of the 'referendum' is so sparing, that we can justifiably resist those demands.
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