Democracy in Action? The Place of Referendums in Scotland and the UK
On Wednesday 13 September, the Centre for Scottish Public Policy hosted a debate on the role of referendums in Scotland and the UK in collaboration with Brodies LLP and the Democratic Society Scotland.
The discussion sprang from rising concerns about the role of referendums, and the lack of clear rules defining the conditions in which they should be triggered, as the recent years have brought them to the fore. Cases such as the 2014 vote on Scotland's independence, and most recently, the UK's decision to leave the European Union, evidence the need for a discussion about the role of direct democracy in the UK's parliamentary system. Our June event on the future of EU citizens in the UK highlighted the impact of such decisions on the lives on individuals. What happens when voters are called upon to settle complex legislative matters? How do they engage in discussions about the future of the country? How should the choices expressed during referendums be implemented? were some of the questions this discussion aimed to raise.
The conversation was generously hosted by Brodies LLP.
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The chair for this evening was CSPP's own co-chair, and Alzheimer Scotland's head of policy, Amy Dalrymple. We were joined by Democratic Society's Scotland Network Manager, Alistair Stoddart, Brodies LLP's partner Charles Livingstone, and Ipsos MORI Scotland's Associate Director Rachel Ormston (from left to right on the picture below).
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CSPP co-chair @amy_dalrymple introduces our guest speakers tonight: @AliStoddart1, Charles Livingstone and @rachelormstonpic.twitter.com/1qs8a8X1ew -
Charles Livingstone opened the discussion with a talk that presented the legal basis of referendums in the UK. After outlining their general features, Charles went on to examine previous instances of referendums in the UK, all the way to their recent 'golden age', characterised by a very quick succession of referendums on some crucial legislative matters: North East England and Welsh devolution in 2004 and 2011, the British voting system (2011), Scottish independence (2014), and the UK's future relationship with the European Union (2016).
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Charles Livingstone of @BrodiesLLP next pic.twitter.com/WGZLsl1QfT -
As exercises in direct democracy, referendums may seem at odds with the UK's parliamentary culture. However, many referendums were held in the UK from the 1970s onwards.
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Outlining the history and of #referendums, C. Livingstone refers to Atlee describing them as 'a splendid device for demagogues & dictators'
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Many referendums have since taken place in the UK: in 1973, 1975, 1979...
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Often govs call referendums to ratify measures that they already support and when they expect to win them - 2016 being the exception!
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Here are Charles Livingstons' slides
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Next to speak was Rachel Ormston, who analysed patterns of engagement with referendums. Rachel interpreted data obtained as part of a survey conducted by Ipsos MORI which aimed at gauging the levels of interest and participation in referendums, determining who was likely to vote and how informed the voters were with regards to the issues they were asked to to decide upon.
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3 questions: are Referendums good for democracy? Does the public & politically disenfranchised engage with them & if so, in an informed way?
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Support of referendums is lower than it once was, and varies depending on the issue, @rachelormston points out pic.twitter.com/O849Nekivd -
Political affiliation, age, qualifications are factors that can determine the support of referendums in the UK pic.twitter.com/0msABepQMR -
Both IndyRef and EURef generated higher levels of engagement from parts of the population normally less likely to engage pic.twitter.com/PYt76kSWMx -
As @rachelormston observes, people feel that they now know more about the EU but still a lot of misconceptions among the public pic.twitter.com/iL8mlZqa76 -
Rachel has kindly agreed to share her presentation with participants or followers wishing to catch up on the discussion: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7GitFs-xT8NLS1mb2RNdUdHOWM
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Our last speaker was Alistair Stoddart, who concluded the conversation by pointing to alternative forms of democratic engagement, and offered a critical perspective on referendums as polarizing modes of polititical decision-making.
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Our @AliStoddart1 on how we should be making democracy better by embedding public engagement & going beyond referendums pic.twitter.com/MbaCAAG8nr -
So, are Referendums really the rule for the people, by the people? @AliStoddart1 asks
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For @AliStoddart1 Referendums are democratic but are used within a democratic culture that doesn't always generate democratic outcomes
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Risks of referendums: polarising effects, misstatements of facts, the public may overestimate how well informed they are about a given issue
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"Taking back control" is a more complicated process than a simple vote, @AliStoddart1 continues - and one that goes far beyond the ballot
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Citizens' assemblies and consultations are an incomplete solution: democratic engagement should take place on a day to basis
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It's time to turn the rhetorics of participation into a reality, @AliStoddart1 concludes
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At the end of the presentations, we opened the floor to questions from participants.
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@DemsocScotland @csppscotland @AliStoddart1 @BrodiesLLP "The public have spoken - but what have they said?" #Brexit in one line.
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Prof John Curtice at @csppscotland referendums event this eve, on EU one: "Just read @ShippersUnbound 's book, that tells you all of it"
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We would like to thank all speakers and participants for joining us in this conversation. Watch out for our next event, where we'll discuss the latest developments in the negotiations between the British government and the European Union. To enable us to continue to keep important issues at the forefront of discussion, please continue to support us.
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