tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post5194545510986452700..comments2024-03-26T09:38:39.888+00:00Comments on Borthlas: Coming back to bite usJohn Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-30367729967032687292010-05-20T08:16:00.748+01:002010-05-20T08:16:00.748+01:00Adam,
At a logical level, I understand the point ...Adam,<br /><br />At a logical level, I understand the point you make about different leagues of incompatibility, although I'm not entirely convinced that such a logical view was at the root of the Con/ Lib Dem opposition to holding the referendum on the same date as the Assembly elections. I think their reasoning was more to do with the perceived disadvantage to them as parties in having to fight an election against other parties at the same time as co-operating with them on a referendum.<br /><br />(And equally, I accept that some of those arguing for holding the referendum on the same date have done so either for reasons of perceived party advantage, or, rather less dishonourably, because they believed that it would help to achieve the 'right' answer.)<br /><br />There's a nice irony about the possibility that those who most strongly argued against combination of two very different events might yet find that they've been over-ruled not by those against whom they were arguing, but by their own political masters.<br /><br />I don't think that I can disagree with the suggestion of a referendum commission, although whether it needs to be a separate body or merely an augmentation of the remit of the Electoral Commission is perhaps a subject for debate. I suspect it won't happen any time soon though - not while referenda are still pretty rare in the UK.John Dixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-69250913342341240322010-05-20T06:32:02.799+01:002010-05-20T06:32:02.799+01:00I must confess that my first reaction on learning ...I must confess that my first reaction on learning of the clash was that the government would merely legislate to move the Assembly election, and that all the huffing and puffing was a little premature and preposterous. <br /><br />Perhaps they still will, but cannot yet commit to it. In any event, it cannot be desirable to hold them on the same day.<br /><br />All that said, I would suggest that combining the Assembly and Parliamentary elections - undesirable as it is - is in a different league of incompatibility to holding the Assembly elections and the referendum on the same day. It is surely crucial that some decent space is put between these two such that people can reflect on a) who they want to represent them and; b) which institution should make primary law in those specified areas in proper isolation. They are such different questions that blending them together could be distorting of either or both outcomes.<br /><br />Sadly, the fact that political parties - of all shades - can publicly argue about when to hold a referendum tells me one thing; we need a referendum commission like they have in a number of other countries to decide this and other important aspects of the poll. The parties (and again I include all of them) should not be allowed to try and manipulate the date for their own ends. What's more, if either government - as in this case - is recommending a "yes" or "no" vote and hence is effectively a participant, it should not have any say in determining the date, either.Adam Higgitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08404979957698536334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-44280528016634307482010-05-19T19:45:44.945+01:002010-05-19T19:45:44.945+01:00Finding a solution to the practical problem in ord...Finding a solution to the practical problem in order to avoid a clash is the easy part. Finding a solution to the government's lack of will to understand the practical problem is a great deal harder...John Dixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-18370596585060362002010-05-19T15:10:51.577+01:002010-05-19T15:10:51.577+01:00The simple solution would be to reduce the parliam...The simple solution would be to reduce the parliamentary term to 4 years and then fix them so the next election would be in 2014. This means that there would be no clash with the Assembly elections in 2015. Otherwise this would occur every 20years.glynbeddauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933352430631144936noreply@blogger.com