Top 10 facts about referendums

ON June 5, 1975, the UK held its first referendum on the question of whether we should continue to be a member of the European Economic Community.

1. The electorate voted by a majority of more than two to one (17,378,581 votes to 8,470,073) to stay in.
2. In 1998, Conservative MP Alan Clark asked the Speaker for a ruling on whether the plural of 'referendum' was 'referendums' or 'referenda'...
3. The Speaker, Betty Boothroyd, ruled that it is "all a matter of taste".
4. The Latin 'referendum' (plural: referenda) meant the question that is being referred to the voters, not the process of voting.
5. Since 1911, New Zealand has held 38 national referendums, of which 26 have been about alcohol.

6. In 1949, New Zealand voted on whether to allow off-course betting: 68 per cent voted in favour.

7. In 1995, Ireland voted, by the narrow margin of 50.3 per cent to 49.7 per cent, to legalise divorce.
8. In 1977, voters in an Australian referendum were asked to choose their national anthem from a list of four songs.
9. Advance Australia Fair won but Australian Capital Territory voted for Waltzing Matilda.
10. The only other UK referendum was in 2011 on whether 'alternative vote' should replace 'first past the post' in parliamentary elections.

 

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