Referenda are good

[spudtater]

A referendum gives the public a chance to vote in a straightforward way for a single issue, without it getting clouded by other issues. In representative democracy, you might want to vote for party A because of their policy on issue X, but you might disagree with their policy towards issue Y. Or you might like party A, but know that they're never going to get in, and vote for party B instead (in order to keep the Tories party C out). It all gets very complex.

With a referendum on Scottish independence, the people of Scotland would be given a chance to make our choice in a simple, fair manner, unclouded by other political considerations. But the Lib Dems don't want to give us that choice.

No, they say. The only way we're going to get a referendum is if over 50% of voters vote for the SNP.

I am sorely tempted to do so.

Comments

[scattergather.livejournal.com]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6264483.stm

gives a topical illustration of the influence of wording.

[spudtater.livejournal.com]

Also worth looking at is the Australian republic referendum, which many people think fell down because of the details of the system it proposed, rather than the concept of republicanism itself.

I would like to see a referendum introduced by a coalition of pro- and anti-independence parties, since that would reduce bias towards one side or the other.