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Originally Posted by JCB
Just a few points .
We ought not to governed according to opinion polls . That could just take the populist road , and lead politicians to duck making good decisions on necessary but unpopular issues .
Referendums should have no place in our democracy . I agree with Clement Attlee , the best prime minister of my lifetime so far , when he said that they are just not British .
We have a parliamentary democracy , and we send M.P.s to Parliament to be our representatives , not our delegates . It is for them to make decisions which they believe are best for the country . So for me any referendum on the EU or on any other matter is to be rejected .
As for the EU , I hope that Parliament will continue to support UK membership of the EU unless some better alternative is proposed . I have yet to see any anti-EU people propose a viable alternative to EU membership . I recall Neil Kinnock saying : " You don't play politics with peoples' jobs . " That is just what those such as UKIP are doing .
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The reason that this topic intrigues me is that I ... and no doubt others among us ... sense that democracy is under attack; and threats to the economy are often thrown up to justify its erosion in favour of businesslike management. Come to think of it, the same arguments are advanced in order to derail any effective action on environmental issues. Obviously, the EU is not an issue that concerns me. But the decline of democracy does.
But, to address your points. I definitely agree that countries can not be governed according to opinion polls. But, I do not agree that referenda have no place in a democracy, though I do think they should be used sparingly. Some issues, fundamental to the future of the country, demand a referendum. The vote on Scottish independence is one obvious example.
I do believe that the relationship between voters and MPs is open for debate. There is a great difference between a representative and a delegate. I, myself, would go for "delegate." Where power resides in a democracy is no mere academic question. Does power rest with the people, or, as is increasingly obvious in Canada, with the Prime Minister's Office, or in the States, following a recent Supreme Court decision, with those like the Koch brothers, who have more than enough money to buy elections?