Citizens' Initiative and Referendum
Memorandum, 18th April 2000
Regarding The Referenda Society which is registered in Cardiff, Wales and has an address in Newark, Nottinghamshire.
About three months ago James McGlynn http://freespace.virgin.net/jamesimac.mcglynn/
told me about The Referenda Society, writing that he "came across them in a parliamentary reference book at the local library, under pressure groups. The group supports "a public initiative by way of a referenda voting system as a logical step in the evolution of democratic government"".I wrote to ask for more information and received - by stately snail mail - a letter with an enclosed essay entitled "Next Step: The case for direct democracy". This letter, signed by Geoffrey Munnery, London Correspondent of the Society, and his later reply (12 April 2000) to my question about how elements of direct democracy could be introduced into the British system of governance, are copied with permission of the author, below.
M. Macpherson, <mjm@snafu.de> Berlin
(THE REFERENDA SOCIETY -- HISTORY AND AIMS)
THE REFERENDA SOCIETY
131 Lime Grove, Newark,
Notts. NG24 4AG
Tel.+44 1636 702835Please reply to:
29 Cleves Walk
ILFORD
Essex IG6 2NQ
Tel: +44 20 8500 40746 March 2000
Dear Dr.Macpherson,
I am most grateful for your letter of 17 February, expressing interest in the Referenda Society.
For your guidance, the Society was founded in 1992, with the sole object of moving the United Kingdom, in logical progression, from the increasingly outmoded representative democracy to direct democracy, as the enclosed green paper argues. At the time, it was felt that the tide was turning in favour of greater public intervention in the nation's affairs, and this was supported by a Mori poll of 1991 showing 77 per cent favoured referenda on a particular issue when raised by petition.
The intention was to organise a nationwide People's Petition to Parliament which, if well supported, would enable the Society to press for the appropriate legislation. However, resources have not been forthcoming to date, and further complications have arisen with the devolutionary dismemberment currently taking place, leaving the country in a twilight world, not knowing whether or not its ultimate fate will be a confederation of eleven or so regions. Actually, direct democracy would be favoured by a federalist structure, where the regional assemblies are responsible for bread-and-butter issues such as education, health, housing, transport etc.
We are a very small organisation - an acorn endeavouring to become an oak tree - with no affiliation to any political, religious or other institutions, dictated mainly by the fact that our primary objective encompasses all interests and must not be viewed es factional. We hold no opinion on any other issues except that of Europe, where we cannot remain aloof from its continuing undemocratic development, as the other enclosed paper attempts to identify. The Society, aware that only perhaps one in twenty are on-line in Britain, relies on conventional means to spread the message, though future use of internet is very much in mind.
With kind regards
Yours sincerely,
Geoffrey W.G. MunneryThe Referenda Society Ltd.
Limited by Guarantee & Registered in Cardiff No. 2673420.
Registered Office as above.
Text of letter from M Macpherson to G Munnery, 23rd March 2000
(Dear Mr. Munnery,)
I have read your paper "Next step: the case for direct
democracy". My strong impression is that I agree with all
substantial aspects of it.What I now want to ask you and the Referendum Society is,
"How can elements of direct democracy be introduced into the
British system of governance? What steps are needed and who
could take them?"
(Yours sincerely,)
(A STRATEGY FOR DIRECT DEMOCRACY?)
THE REFERENDA SOCIETY
131 Lime Grove, Newark,
Notts. NG24 4AG
Tel.+44 1636 702835 12 April 2000
Please reply to:
29 Cleves Walk
ILFORD
Essex IG6 2NQ
Tel: +44 20 8500 4074
Dear Dr. Macpherson,
In your letter of 23 March, you ask how can elements of direct democracy be introduced into the British system of governance.
As mentioned in our previous letter, when the Society was founded, the United Kingdom was one entity. Now, with devolutionary dismemberment taking place, there is no clear lead as to what the end product will be. Direct democracy will certainly lend itself to regional application on bread and butter issues, e.g. housing, health, education, transport etc.
On a national basis, assuming we still have a nation, if legislation is secured by Peoples' Petition, it is envisaged that two elements of direct democracy would obtain. One, mandatory referenda in respect of any constitutional changes. Two, popular initiatives in respect of sponsoring proposals or challanging bad legislation, of which there is a great deal. To obtain a referendum, a petition would require to collect a minimum number of signatures within a specific time, eg two and a half per cent of total electoral votes, ie 1.1 million, within (say) 6 months, under the supervision of the Society. The resulting referendum would be overseen by a Referendum Commission.
It is essential that, in a democracy, just as the executive, legislature and justiciary must be independent, so the referendum must be independent of government. It is an instrument of the people, and for this reason, certain interests would be excluded from sponsorship, eg political parties, trades unions, corporate interests. Adoption of direct democracy would require our represenatives to cede some power back to the electorate, and though some would argue that this would inhibit the independence of Parliament, direct democracy would not supplant parliamentary institutions, but supplement them by remedying deficiencies.
There is, of course, much more to this whole concept beyond the scope of this letter, but I trust the foregoing gives some idea of what the Society has in mind.
Yours sincerely,
Geoffrey W.G. Munnery
The Referenda Society Ltd.
Limited by Guarantee & Registered in Cardiff No. 2673420.
Registered Office as above.
GO TO Letter from M Macpherson to The Referenda Society, 4th May 2000 and reply from Geoffrey Munnery, 12th May 2000