Referendum call to engage voters

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A new political organisation has called for electoral changes to give people a greater say on major issues through the use of referendums.

Saira Khan, who chairs Our Say, said referendums "deliver engagement".

But Tory peer Lord Brittan said he disagreed as it forced the public to make decisions on "complex issues".

The Our Say campaign argues that low turnout at elections and public cynicism are the result of a political system that does not listen to people.

Ms Khan, who was a runner-up in the first series of BBC programme The Apprentice and set up Our Say in September, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Our current system is stuck in the dark ages."

Politicians are elected because they are then paid to look into these matters in enormous details - the ordinary member of the public is not Lord Brittan

"The one thing that has not changed since the dark ages is our political system."

She said "citizen-led initiatives" on issues such as nuclear power, fox hunting and identity cards would "allow politicians to share power with the people".

"It is about engagement and allowing people to have their say," she said.

Campaign launch

But Lord Brittan said: "Politicians are elected because they are then paid to look into these matters in enormous details.

"The ordinary member of the public is not. And there is no reason why if you are a busy housewife, or a busy dentist, whoever you are, that you should look into the huge complexities.

"How many people have read the Stern report? I don't blame them for not reading it. They can't do that. But they can vote for people whose broad approach they like."

Lord Brittan said he did not believe that the British parliamentary system had failed the country.

Ms Khan has been looking for a local authority that could trial a referendum for a controversial local issue.

Similar systems operate in a several other countries, including Switzerland, New Zealand, Poland and in a number of US states.