Wednesday 25 July 2018

The use and value of referenda.

It's at times like this, as the government's Brexit train heads for the buffers, that I think about the advantages of our fourth demand 'The People's Consent'.

This demand covers three uses for referenda during the political process. The first allow for the people to raise a new issue but the result would only ever be advisory. The second gives the power to the people to stop proposed government legislation and the third would allow the people their say, over certain types of decisions made by government or official bodies and by elected and appointed officials, including ministers and judges.

It is the second area that would now be really useful, if our demands were in force, as it  would allow the people the final say on the terms the government finally puts to parliament.  This is because  we clearly state that all constitutional measures or any laws which had the effect of changing the constitution would automatically trigger a referendum for the people to decide if the agreed with what was proposed in the bill.

This would of course render the current debate, about a second referendum, redundant as we would be given the final say after a nationwide debate on the issues.

There is not much not to like about our fourth demand 'The People's Consent."


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