Overview

This bill sets strict new criteria for referendums in the UK on constitutional or parliamentary matters. To be considered successful, a referendum must achieve a supermajority in both Houses of Parliament, a high voter turnout, and a significant percentage of "yes" votes.

Description

This bill establishes four key criteria for referendums on constitutional or parliamentary changes in the UK:

• Parliamentary Approval: A motion agreeing to the proposition must pass both the House of Commons and the House of Lords with at least a two-thirds majority in each house.
• Voter Turnout: The number of people voting must be at least 55% of those registered on the electoral roll.
• Majority Vote: At least 60% of those who vote in the referendum must vote in favour of the proposition.
• Extent: The act applies to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Government Spending

The bill itself doesn't directly involve government spending. However, the implementation of higher thresholds for referendum approval could lead to reduced government spending on organizing referendums and related campaigns if fewer referendums are held as a result.

Groups Affected

• Parliamentarians: Will need to meet stricter criteria for approving referendums.
• Voters: Need to meet higher turnout and majority vote thresholds for referendum decisions to be deemed valid.
• Advocacy Groups: Will face a significantly higher bar for successfully passing constitutional or parliamentary changes via referendum.
• Government: May experience a decrease in the frequency of referendums and reduced spending associated with them.

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