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Referendums ?


Observer II

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Seems a new poll puts the Scots 53% in favour of Independence IF BoJo gets the top job !    Having seen the mess that referendums can cause;  should we insist that any future referendums require a two thirds majority to change the status quo ?   A two thirds majority is the normal criteria for constitutional changes in most organisations and in the case of either a Scots Independence Ref or another EU Ref -  wouldn't be attainable - thus meaning no change.  In the case of Scotland, they've arguably had their "once in a generation" vote,  so there really is no reason for Westminster to grant another one in any case.   Clearly our political system has had it's fingers burnt by the incorrect use of referendums,   so perhaps a two thirds majority requirement would reduce the appetite for them ?

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42 minutes ago, Observer II said:

Seems a new poll puts the Scots 53% in favour of Independence IF BoJo gets the top job !    Having seen the mess that referendums can cause;  should we insist that any future referendums require a two thirds majority to change the status quo ?   A two thirds majority is the normal criteria for constitutional changes in most organisations and in the case of either a Scots Independence Ref or another EU Ref -  wouldn't be attainable - thus meaning no change.  In the case of Scotland, they've arguably had their "once in a generation" vote,  so there really is no reason for Westminster to grant another one in any case.   Clearly our political system has had it's fingers burnt by the incorrect use of referendums,   so perhaps a two thirds majority requirement would reduce the appetite for them ?

A waste of time and money in that case surely?

If the Scots truly want independence, they should insist that any future referendum be UK wide. There would undoubtably be at least two thirds majority in their favour 🤣.

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The reason we had the EU referendum in the first place, was so Cameron could outsource a decision that has plagued the Tories for decades.  The reason that a two thirds majority wasn't a requirement was because Cameron and Osbourne thought that REMAIN would win clearly.  Had it required a two thirds majority,  LEAVE would have lost, and that's the last you would have heard of Brexit.   However the damage (to the political system) has been done,  and it's now a question of democracy -  Parliament outsourced a binary decision,  the two main Parties campaigned in a G/Election to honour that decision,  Parliament then agreed to action article 50 - then began to sabotage any prospect of a withdrawal agreement.  Now any recourse to using a referendum to resolve the mess we're in, is rather like promoting the "hair of the dog" as a cure for a hangover !

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If it had required a 2/3rds majority, and if the outcome had been the same 52/48 for leave, then I doubt Brexit would have just disappeared. It would still be a festering sore that would have to be treated at some point in the future. You know, something like 3 years of arguing the toss between various factions. Plus ca change, plus ca meme chose as they (probably don't) say in France 😀.

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  • 2 months later...

😄    The next referendum will be a G/Election, if they allow us to have one; where the Remain Parties are organising a mass tactical vote to oust the Tories.   What they seem to forget, is that it will be easier for the Leave Parties to organise an alliance than the Remain Parties, as Labour will never stand down candidates in any seat.   

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