Il referendum nel Regno Unito: caveat emptor

The author argues that referendums are historically alien to the UK's tradition of representative democracy and parliamentary sovereignty. The text identifies three drivers for their recent use: addressing constitutional questions like Scottish independence, seeking political legitimacy to resolve internal party conflicts (as seen with David Cameron and Brexit), and as a tool for those seeking epochal change through binary choices. The author concludes that the lack of civic experience with referendums led to campaigns based on fear and disinformation, ultimately damaging the UK's democratic health.

• Referendums are historically viewed as incompatible or dangerous within the UK's system of representative democracy and parliamentary sovereignty, with Margaret Thatcher describing them as "uno strumento di dittatori e demagoghi".
• The 2016 Brexit referendum was used by then-Prime Minister David Cameron as a strategic tool to manage internal party divisions rather than responding to significant public traction for withdrawal, a gamble that failed.
• Binary referendums in the UK, such as those for Brexit and Scottish independence, reduce complex issues to black-and-white choices and have been characterized by campaigns using fear, disinformation, and reductive rhetoric.
• The limited experience with referendums in the UK has resulted in voter disillusionment and has undermined the country's overall democracy.

APA

Cooke, J. (2021). Il referendum nel Regno Unito: caveat emptor. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/i-referendum-nel-regno-unito-caveat-emptor/

Chicago

Cooke, Jamie. Il referendum nel Regno Unito: caveat emptor. Green European Journal, 2021. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/i-referendum-nel-regno-unito-caveat-emptor/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cooke |first1=Jamie |title=Il referendum nel Regno Unito: caveat emptor |publisher=Green European Journal |date=29 November 2021 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/i-referendum-nel-regno-unito-caveat-emptor/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cooke2021referendum, author = {Cooke, Jamie}, title = {{Il referendum nel Regno Unito: caveat emptor}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/i-referendum-nel-regno-unito-caveat-emptor/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }