Five things Brexit can teach us about referendums

Despite the chaos and confusion surrounding Brexit, there is plenty it can teach us. A case study on Theresa May's handling of the issue, for instance, could speak volumes about government and how not to go about it. Today I just want to list five lessons we can learn regarding referendums.

1. For a referendum to be meaningful and ethical, voters must be given an informed choice. In Switzerland, for example, where referendums are important feature of democracy, ballot papers are accompanied by information booklets. These include explanations, arguments for and against, and government recommendations. In Britain, people did not have a clue what they were voting for. Of course, no amount of booklets would help if the people have no civic education from an early age.
2. Without safeguards, referendums can be exploited by unscrupulous politicians. This is what David Cameron did when he promised a referendum regarding Britain's EU membership. Another politician could offer a people's vote on whether they wanted free public transport. This, just to get elected, without any consideration at all as to where the funds would come from.
3. The government has a duty to protect its citizens from lies, disinformation and meddling by third parties with a vested interest in causing harm. The Conservative government failed in its duty to protect the people from falsehoods.
4. If the government makes a mistake in its handling of a referendum, then it should readdress the wrong and consult the people in a second vote. Mrs. May prefers to plough ahead and lead the nation to a cliff's edge and possibly over it. 
5. Apart form education, information and choice, voters need moral integrity. Perhaps only a small proportion of those voting to leave the EU may have done so for racist of xenophobic reasons. Nevertheless, their vote may have tipped the balance. Referendums should never be held about choices that discriminate against minorities. And the same can be said about choices that could ruin the livelihood of thousands of people.

With the rapid advancement of modern technology, people participation by referendums could become much easier. It is therefore essential that lessons are learned from past mistakes, but also that the process is regularly reviewed and perfected.