Tharoor on Brexit Vote: Direct Democracy and Dangerous Outcomes

Brexit vote may result in many borders springing up across the world, cautions Shashi Tharoor.

(In a historic vote of sorts, Britain decided to quit the European Union, with Prime Minister David Cameron announcing he would not continue after October. As Britain’s referendum takes the entire world by shock, Shashi Tharoor writes on the fallout of direct democracy in a polity. Following is an excerpt of an article on Brexit vote.)

One issue that Indians would well find worth asking is whether the sort of “direct democracy” practised in Britain on Thursday offers more perils than benefits to nations.

Our political system, modelled on the British, requires our people to elect representatives who then, in their wisdom, are entrusted to take decisions and pass laws on their behalf. Other systems, notably the Swiss, refer all major decisions to referenda in which the public as a whole vote to determine policy outcomes.

Cameron’s awkward marriage of the two practices revealed a lack of political courage – his inability to face down anti-EU sentiment in his own party. But passing the buck to the general public deprives political leaders of the authority they have earned by responsible practice of their profession.