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

[sigmonster.livejournal.com]

It is their argument that 51% of Scots want independence, and that as representatives of the people, the MSPs should pay heed.

Bugger that. I want elected representatives to stick to the principles and platform on which they were elected. If 51% of the populace can't elect 50%+1 of MSPs who support a referendum (I note, again, that a form of PR applies to election for the scottish parliament) then that's just too bad - it doesn't impose any kind of duty on the MSPs whose manifesto was against a referendum, because their duty is to do their best as they see it and to fulfil the principles on which they were elected as best they can. So yes, the SNP are confusing the two, the more fools they.

[spudtater.livejournal.com]

We're talking about an upcoming election here, hence certain principles and policies are neccessarily in flux.

Look, you seem to be saying that a politician should doggedly stick to something despite the fact that the majority of the populace disagree, and despite the fact that a majority of their voters disagree.

They're entitled to do whatever they wish, of course. It's just that they're likely to lose quite a few of their voters if they do so — in this case, including myself.

I don't want to vote for the SNP. I certainly don't want to vote for the SSP or the Greens. Errr... what's left? Solidarity: *chuckle*. The Scottish Independence Party: the whuh? The Free Scotland Party: double whuh? The Scottish Jacobite Party: teh LOLz!

Where was I? Yes, I don't want to vote for the SNP. But the Lib Dems are leaving me little choice.