Referendums should be called annually at all levels of Government whenever requested by 5% of the relevant electorate

Even when we have independent MPs and the other improvements described above, a rounded political system requires that the people can also directly express their view on particular issues between elections. A properly representative House of Commons would be a much better determinant of political decisions than the current one. However even that would not have total legitimacy in the modern world. It is therefore important that citizens have the right - through initiatives to call for a referendum on key issues - to provide more of a check on political decisions other than just through a national vote every few years.

Government Initiated Referendums

As shown by the Lisbon Treaty/EU Constitution debate, political elites will usually bat the idea of a referendum back and forth in line with their own self-centred perception of their political advantage. This is despite the fact that in this particular case a survey showed that 83% of the people wanted the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty which they believed had been promised to them in the 2005 Labour Manifesto. This was also in the context that there have been referendums in a number of other EU countries.

Despite this, the idea of a national referendum initiated by the people is still completely abhorrent to many of the Political Class who cite the importance of “Parliamentary sovereignty”. The main political parties remain against the idea of citizens being able to initiate a national referendum as they see this as reducing their power.

The Case for a Citizens’ Initiative

It is difficult to argue that referendums whose content and time is chosen by the Government are merely extensions of oligarchical politics that are used when the party political system completely breaks down. The ability to have a referendum should not just be left to the Government of the day for its own political purposes. It should either be formally mandated, as in Ireland where a referendum is required whenever the constitution is to be changed, or it should be triggered by the people if sufficient of them want to question a Government policy.

Referendums allow specific issues to be extricated from a broad set of party agendas. An initiative allows a specified percentage of the electorate to require a referendum to be held.

Referendums also increase interest in politics. They are a legitimate way of demonstrating support for a particular point of view, an official version of signing a petition, an action in which four fifths of the population has participated. There is evidence from around the world that they increase turnout and voter interest in the political system.

This use of a citizens’ initiative to implement a referendum is now accepted in about half of the states in the US and both at the canton level and nationally in Switzerland.

The referendum has now become much more familiar and accepted and indeed, as shown by opinion polls, desired in the UK. People will say that as there was a referendum on one particular issue such as devolution or mayoral representation, they would like to have a referendum on other issues. This will make it increasingly difficult for Governments to explain why this should not be the case.

The Practicalities of Referendums

It is important to ensure that those voting in referendums are properly informed and that it is not possible for quirky results to take place. It is therefore suggested that a minimum of 5% of the relevant electorate may call for a referendum. All such referendums will be voted on at the same time during the year which would most logically be on the same day as the annual local authority elections in May/June (with a maximum of, say, four propositions each year, chosen as those with the most signatures, in order not to overwhelm the voters).

The wording of a referendum is clearly important. This would be the responsibility in the UK of the Electoral Commission under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA). This so far only requires the Government to consult the Electoral Commission on the wording of the question but could easily be strengthened to give the Electoral Commission the right to agree the question.

There are various formulae to ensure that sufficient members of the electorate are in favour of a referendum before it is passed. These criteria can include requiring a minimal proportion of the electorate to vote or alternatively requiring agreement from a particular proportion of the electorate rather than of those actually voting.

In the UK system, Parliament retains sovereignty, even if as in the case of devolution it establishes other ways of making decisions. It is therefore suggested that Parliament passes a law which would introduce the possibility of citizens’ initiatives for referendums, with the detailed provisions subject to consultation.