Europe Alain Lamassoure, French MEP and close advisor to Nicolas Sarkozy, has told the Irish Times that Ireland was wrong to hold a referendum, which is "a tool for dictators." He said: "If you hold 10 or 12 referendums and in every state there is 80 per cent support for an idea there is still only a less than 1 per cent probability that the measure will pass everywhere.

On the 10th of October the House of Lords killed off the prospect of voters getting the power to initiate referendums on local issues. Up until then the Localism Bill had contained a modest proposal to give local people in England the power to call non-binding referendums on local issues if 5% of their fellow

Scotland will have to vote in favour of independence in two referendums to legally separate from the United Kingdom, the Scottish Secretary has said.

One side effect of a coalition government full of reforming zeal is lots of opportunities for the good people of Britain to troop down to their local polling station and make the appropriate mark on a ballot paper. Here are the elections and referendums that look to me to coming our way in the next few

Government plans to hold local referendums on new housing schemes in England could tear village communities apart, rural campaigners say.

People in Bristol are to be asked to take part in local referendums on whether individual pieces of graffiti should be removed after overwhelming support for a campaign to keep a mural by the painter Banksy.

A month after the 2005 London tube bombings Tony Blair issued a 12 point plan which he promised would show that the "rules of the game are changing" for terrorists.

In the not too-distant, we are going to be offered a referendum to decide which voting system we prefer in the UK and Northern Ireland. This is the equivalent of being offered a trial-by-combat to decide who should be awarded a peace prize. Referendums have very little by way of respectability in terms of making voting fair.

The next manifesto could offer the possibility of significant changes to the governance of Britain through promising two referendums, alongside accounting for handling of the economic crisis and a 'steady as she goes' policy platform based on the NPF outcomes. Should majorities subsequently vote in referendums for a PR based system for electing the Westminster Parliament and for joining ...

Where should a Conservative localist stand on devolution? In favour of the maximum decentralisation of powers, obviously. Ah, but what if people on the spot don't want such powers? Scottish and Welsh legislatures should devolve power downwards It is a dilemma that Tory localists currently face over plans for referendums in Wales and Scotland (on legislative autonomy in the former, full i...