The Referendum on Separation for Scotland: A Multi-Option Question

HC 543, Third Report of Session 2012-13 - Report, Together with Formal Minutes

Author:

House of Commons - Scottish Affairs Committee

Publisher:

TSO (The Stationery Office)

Price: £8.50

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Widening the number of options to be put in front of the voters in a referendum may at first sight be an attractive proposition, but it suffers from a number of drawbacks according to the report 'The Referendum on Separation for Scotland: A Multi-Option Question (HC 543)'.

The Scottish Government does not have a mandate to hold a referendum on greater devolution. What it promised was a referendum on separation, and that has been agreed.

There are very serious unanswered questions about how a three-option referendum would work. There are a number of potential ways in which the results could be calculated and aggregated, and the choice of voting and counting mechanism could well determine the outcome; it should be made clear to voters what the consequences of their decision will be.

Multi-option referendums are very uncommon internationally, with experience strongly indicating that they do not lead to effective decisions.

Extent	26 pages	ISBN	9780215047526
Size	A4	Price	£8.50
Format	Paperback	Published	15 Aug 2012
Availability	Colour copy: 3 - 5 days	Delivery	Delivery options and charges