Societies inexperienced with referendums are likely to make mistakes. How Britain used a referendum for BREXIT is a prime example. However, BREXIT missteps also provide some valuable lessons. Here are some of them.
First, societies need a predetermined scope for how referendums can be used–what kinds of issues will be put to a referendum and when a referendum can be applied. Societies should not use referendums for minor matters that legislatures can easily decide. Presumably, defining borders is an issue worthy of referendum so this would not have stopped BREXIT. However, predetermining when to use them may have made a difference. When prime minister David Cameron made BREXIT part of the Conservative platform in 2015, he didn’t believe it would ever happen. He simply wanted to appease the Eurosceptics in his party. When his party won an outright majority in the election, he no longer had to compromise with Liberal Democrats (who would have blocked such an effort) and his hand was forced. A predetermined scope for referendums may help deter their use as a political tool.
This leads to another lesson: a political party can only support one referendum option. Cameron’s Conservatives were split on whether to leave the EU. By airing his party’s dirty laundry in a public referendum, he further divided them and substantially weakened his own position. If parties aren’t on opposite sides of the vote, there is really nothing to vote on. Which leads to a final lesson: have realistic options. No one was prepared for the exit vote to win. And no one had any clue on how difficult leaving would be. When parties or coalitions are aligned to the options, they will work to get their messages out and force clarity on what voters need to consider.
While Britain may pay a steep price for leaving the EU, it may also gain some lessons that will prove valuable in the future. One can hope they have learned from this experience.
References:
Catherine Haddon, “Britain’s Brexit crisis was entirely self-inflicted,” Washington Post, 16 Dec 2018, B1.
The Guardian, “Cameron did not think EU referendum would happen, says Tusk,” 21 Jan 2019.
No responses yet