Democracy and Participation Statistics Flashcards
EU referendum 2016
33 million UK citizens voted on whether to remain a member of the EU or leave, 51.89% voted to leave.
AV referendum 2011
Over 19 million citizens voted against adopting the Alternative Vote system and chose to keep the current First Past the Post (FPTP) system.
Online petitions
If a petition gains over 100,000 signatures then parliament may debate the topic.
Online petitions examples
1.6 million people signed a petition to stop US President Donald Trump from making a State Visit to the UK. MPs then debated Trump’s visit to Parliament and changed it from a ‘state visit’ to a ‘working visit’ in 2018.
Rallies and protests
In 2017 thousands of citizens gathered to protest in London against the government’s economic and political decisions. People disapproved of austerity measures.
In 2010 thousands of students marched in London to protest tuition fee rises.
2016 EU referendum cost
The Cabinet Office estimated that the total cost of the 2016 EU Referendum was £142.4m (including the cost of running polling stations and counting votes).
December 2019 general election popular vote
The most recent election took place in December 2019. The Conservatives won 43.6% of the popular vote.
Low participation levels
Turnout for EU Parliament elections in the UK was 35.6% in 2014 and as a result, more marginal and radical parties have seats.
UKIP won 26.6% of the UK popular vote in the European Parliament, but at the 2015 general election only won 12.6% of the vote.
MPs education
29% of MPs are privately educated, but only 7% of the UK is.
Low vote to win
In Belfast South in 2015, the winning candidate had 24.5% of the vote.
Compulsory voting in Australia
In Australia, compulsory voting exists, and turnout is usually around 95% at elections.
Voting in the early 1800s
By the early 1800s, only 400,000 people could vote. Constituencies were boroughs or counties.
Political participation
‘We Demand a Referendum’ Group dropped off a petition at Downing Street with 100,000 signatures in 2012 calling for a referendum on EU membership.
Examples of protest
The pressure group Hacked Off had a petition signed by 175,000 people in 2013 for the recommendations from the Leveson Inquiry into phone hacking to be implemented.
Corporate influence
Bernie Ecclestone donated £1 million to Labour before the 1997 general election and led to the Labour government seeking an exemption for the company he headed, Formula One, from an EU ban on advertising tobacco.
