How to lose a referendum in seven ways: thoughts on the upcoming Welsh powers referendum

This report will examine two referendums in Wales—the 1997 devolution referendum and the upcoming ‘powers referendum’ of 2011. It cites seven distinct pressures which are relevant to both referendums and draws lessons from the experience of the wafer-thin success of the 1997 campaign for the forthcoming 2011 referendum. In so doing, it draws on interviews conducted with key figures in the upcoming campaign, as well as other interested stakeholders, who identified these pressures as concerns. It argues that the success of the ‘Yes’ campaign will be dependent upon engaging with and overcoming these pressures.