Public's rejection of charter would send us back to Square One

There’s no point in worrying too much about whether the public would understand all the details and ramifications of the draft constitution in a proposed referendum. Would the British public know in detail what exiting the European Community meant if they were asked to vote on it? Was the Haitian public aware of all the issues when they voted overwhelmingly in favour of Baby Doc as president for life in 1981? All one can say is that having a referendum on a major issue is better than not having one. If people then vote for weird or discreditable reasons, that’s part of the democratic process, folks!

In his letter, Jerry Feldman also asks what might happen if the public rejects the charter in the proposed vote. The current prime minister has already answered that one: Military rule will be extended indefinitely in a back-to-Square-One scenario. Once we do get a general election, the winners might conceivably hold yet another referendum to ask the people if they want to rewrite the one we haven’t seen yet. 

Barry Kenyon