referendums

• A form of direct democracy which acts the elctorate to vote on a binary issue but is enacted within a representative democracy for a variety of different reasons
• Reason - resolves conflict within the wider community e.g. in the 1998 Good Friday referendum
• Reason - resolves a conflict within a political party e.g. Brexit 2016 (Conservatives), 1975 EEC (Labour)
• Reason - resolves conflict between parties sharing power e.g. AV 2011 referendum, Lib Dem-Cons 2010-15 coalition, Lib Dems do not perform well in FPTP
• Reason - achieve a political goal e.g. 2014 Scottish independence referendum
• Reason - entrench a constitutional reform e.g. 2011 extension of devolution to Wales, 1979 Scottish Parliament, 1997 tax-varying powers
• Reason - test public opinion e.g. 2004 NE Assembly when Labour proposed regional assembly for Northern England, 2014 Scottish independence
• A good referendum must have a high turnout and large difference between the result e.g. 1998 Good Friday which had 81% turnout and 71% yes and 29% no
• High turnout - 81% in 1998 Good Friday, 85% in 2014 Scottish independence, 72% in 2016 Brexit
• Large difference in result - 71% yes and 29% no in 1998 Good Friday, 20% yes and 80% no in 1979 Welsh Parliament
• A bad, undecisive referendum has both a low turnout and a close result
• Close results are unable to be mediated by the government and cause social rifts
• Low turnout - 50% in 1997 Welsh Parliament. Just over 50% said yes so only 25% of electorate actually agreed to form a Parliament
• Low turnout - 34% 1998 Elected London Mayor
• Close result - 51.9% Leave and 48.1% Remain in 2016, 50.3% yes and 49.7% no in 1997 Welsh Parliament