AN HONEST REFERENDUM
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR A PARLIAMENTARY BILL
RODNEY ATKINSON
Dateline 16th May 2013
There has rarely been a fair, open and un-manipulated Referendum on the European Union organised by any State. The worst examples have been in Ireland where, having lost, the Irish political and corporate establishments always organised a second referendum changing the funding rules to greatly disadvantage the “No” campaigns.
There has never been an opportunity for an informed electorate to express their real political will. There has always been a “question” to which the answer the Governments wanted was “Yes”. So there was a double manipulation – the form of the question which usually guided the voter (“Do you agree that…..”) and the manipulation of “Yes”. Therefore there must be no question – just alternative statements – see below.
David Cameron cannot command the House of Commons, so is unable to pass the Referendum legislation in this Parliament. (Indeed he cannot even present a Government Bill because his Coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, don’t want a vote) However a Government supported private members Bill could be put to the vote exposing the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties as anti democratic and euro-fanatical. The consequences for them at the next election would be clear.
But David Cameron may well suffer the same problem in the next Parliament unless a cross-party majority is assembled which is committed to voting for a clear and fair Referendum Bill which will allow the electorate a true democratic voice. Legislation relating to the EU and indeed all important constitutional matters have always required cross party support. Committing to supporting Referendum Bills which allow Government to both initiate the referendum and to legislate its result will place Opponents at a serious electoral disadvantage. Therefore the Referendum Bill must also cover the implementation of the will of the people by Parliament after a vote. These then are the minimum requirements for an honest democratic referendum:
1. Only British citizens will be permitted to vote
2. Neither the Government nor the Government machine will be active in the referendum. The Governing parties will not be active as participants and their members and MPs will only be active as supporters of one side or the other. A Referendum is of the People and the Government shall have no separate role to play.
3. There will be only two active parties in the referendum and they will each provide scrutineers at all count venues and at the postal ballot count.
4. Only Government funds, split equally, will be available to each side. No contributions will be allowed from business, trade unions, the European Commission or any third party nor will any third party be permitted to provide any materials, services or facilities whatsoever to the competing campaigns or to the British public in any form.
5. The result of the Referendum will be binding on Parliament and politicians. Should the decision be to leave the European Union then the 1972 European Act will be repealed and the United Kingdom will leave the European Union and begin negotiations AS A SOVEREIGN UNENCUMBERED STATE to establish free trading and co-operation agreements with the EU together with other EEA States not part of the European Union and the British Commonwealth. The UK will not act under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty since the country will no longer be part of that constitutional Law.
6. The Question put to the electorate should be in the form of alternative statements: “I want the UK to accept the renegotiated membership of the European Union” or “I want the UK to form a free trading self governing relationship with the European Union” – put in two separate boxes at the same level on the ballot paper.
7. If the negotiations conducted for a new relationship with the EU are not concluded by the time the Referendum must be held (say December 31st 2017), the alternative statements (see above) put to the electorate must reflect the fact that there has been no successful renegotiation and the choice must be between the existing arrangements and “I want the UK to form a free trading self governing relationship with the European Union”.
