24.The Neill Committee’s report extended beyond the funding of political parties and spending in election campaign and made a number of recommendations concerning referendums. These recommendations were directed principally at ensuring that the two sides in a referendum campaign each have a fair opportunity to put their views to the public and that referendum campaigns are not skewed by the intervention of the government of the day. Hitherto there have been no standing statutory arrangements for the conduct of referendums.
Background Overview of the Neill Committee report and the Government’s response Referendums