A referendum is a general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a direct decision, it can only be answered in a 'yes' or 'no' format.
So, should we use more referendums in the UK?
Yes, we should, this is because referendums strengthen public democracy by letting them speak for themselves and letting them voice their views on a particular issue, it enables them to become a voice for their country. Yes because they increase participation in democratic action. As most people know general UK elections don't get a 100% turnout in terms of votes. For example, in 2015, only 66.1% of the UK people voted on an important decision that can potentially make our country better or sometimes worse. However, the Scottish Referendum that also took place this year got a turnout of 89.59% Scottish people voting on their own opinion and beliefs. This indicates people get more involved in referendum voting systems. Referendums also educate and inform the public on a particular issue. Education in terms of politics is important as sometimes people vote on things they do not understand which can sometimes impact the country massively. Referendums give people a chance to understand the issue clearly before they state their vote as it is spoken about more widely. The UK should have more referendums because they provide a clear answer to an important question. By having a closed question published the votes are clear to which people want. Giving a yes or no answer can provide true and strong feelings from the public. Lastly, the UK should have more referendums because they are a strong form of direct democracy. Direct Democracy describes a political system or circumstances where the people themselves make key political decisions. It promotes responsiveness; that it provides better signals than elections about voters' policy preferences; and that it enhances the legitimacy of decisions made. This makes people of the country want to be involved and vote knowing their voices are heard.
However, there are reasons for why the UK should not have more referendums. They may not reflect the views if the turnout is low. For example, if only 60% voted and 40% said yes and 20% said no there is still 40% of the population that didn't vote and it can change the statistics to a large extent. It is important for everyone to vote so a true representation is heard otherwise wrong decisions can be made. However, not everyone votes and there is no law to make them vote so referendums won't always be the best choice of voting. Referendums are definitely not cheap to hold, this is an economic issue that comes out of tax payers money, this money can be used on important things like housing, an increase on referendums will not help financially. Referendums only give a snapshot of the public opinion at one point in time. Views can change over a period of time but once a referendum has happened decisions cannot be changed, this can be hard for people who think they have made the wrong decision and that their vote will actually make the wrong impact on the issue. Lastly, a major issue with referendums is that they allow politicians to avoid making difficult decisions and taking the blame for them. As we know politicians make a lot of mistakes that the people of the country disagree with and it causes them hassle and lack of trust. The method of using a referendum outs the decisions in the hands of the public which gives the politicians an easy way out and to blame people of the UK for the decision made. This can cause more conflict between people and politicians as they would not agree with getting the blame for an answered question put forward by the government.
Overall, more UK referendums should take place as more people are likely to vote and direct democracy is important as the public like the idea of their voices being heard, more people talk about referendums and this will make people excited and more likely to vote on an issue.
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