ABSTRACT
By late 1998 seven significant referendums had been held in the United Kingdom. 1 The first-ever (and so far only) United Kingdom-wide referendum took place in June 1975 on the question of the country's membership of the European Community. It was followed in 1979 by votes on devolution in Scotland and Wales but thereafter, with the Conservatives in power, there was no recourse to a referendum for 18 years. The new Labour government elected in May 1997 was much more interested in constitutional reform than the Conservatives had been, however, and more willing to hold referendums. The 1997 Scottish referendum was the first in a series initiated by the government. In little more than 12 months, in addition to the Scottish case, referendums were held on the creation of an Assembly for Wales (18 September 1997), reforming the government of London to allow for an elected mayor and a Greater London Authority (7 May 1998) and on the proposals for Northern Ireland contained in the ‘Good Friday Agreement’, which related to the system of government as well as to other matters (22 May 1998). Further referendums are promised on other issues including reform of the electoral system, United Kingdom entry into European economic and monetary union and, possibly, the setting up of regional assemblies within England.
