Verdicts · Governance
Governance referendums: how members voted
Settled referendums
135
since Jun 2026
Votes cast
64,517
all time, on governance
Last week
11,735
votes · 7 referendums settled
Written opinions
2,065
all time, left by voters
Best of each side last week
Most respected on governance in the last 7 days
Left
- JohnMorris9 respects
- RobThompson8 respects
Centre
- BenL19 respects
- JustFactsNotBeliefs7 respects
How governance results lean
This week—Last weekC. LeftAll timeCentreWhere every side agreed last week
Left, Centre and Right voters all came down the same way.
- YESShould MPs give up taxpayer-funded second homes for shared accommodation near Parliament?
- NOWas the government right to pay Sir Olly Robbins a six-figure settlement after sacking him over Mandelson’s vetting?
- YESShould anyone who donates to a political party be banned from winning government contracts?
Most active regions last week
Voters
South East232
Scotland161
South West144
London140
North West140
Yorkshire132
East of England123
West Midlands98
East Midlands90
North East64
Wales58
Northern Ireland24
Votes each week
11,735 last week
1,06624 Aug
3,43231 Aug
6,5527 Sept
5,78014 Sept
7,26221 Sept
12,03328 Sept
7,6335 Oct
11,73512 Oct
All-time governance highlights
Biggest landslide
NO 98%
Should Andy Burnham intervene in the Manchester City Premier League case to protect investment?
Won by 96 points on 1,363 votes.
Closest result
NO 50%
Should the UK government pursue deeper devolution to drive economic growth?
Decided by 1 vote.
Most debated
YES 73%
Is the UK heading in the wrong direction and needs major policy changes?
71 written opinions.
Last week
7 settled · 11,735 votes
0%
No
majority
majority
28% Yes
Votes1,722
Skipped82
You—
% voting yes, by leaning
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
H. Left
Left
C. Left
Centre
C. Right
Right
H. Right
Was the government right to pay Sir Olly Robbins a six-figure settlement after sacking him over Mandelson’s vetting?
The verdict
Voters overwhelmingly rejected the payout, with the top No case insisting “Something stinks” and demanding to know who authorised the dismissal. Yes voters answered in the cold language of litigation risk.
0%
Yes
majority
majority
32% No
Votes1,744
Skipped32
You—
% voting yes, by leaning
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
H. Left
Left
C. Left
Centre
C. Right
Right
H. Right
Should anyone who donates to a political party be banned from winning government contracts?
The verdict
Yes won comfortably, on a short, blunt case: “Yes as this is how the corruption starts!” The No side answered with paperwork, the best-respected line urging transparency over a ban.
0%
No
majority
majority
34% Yes
Votes1,596
Skipped40
You—
% voting yes, by leaning
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
H. Left
Left
C. Left
Centre
C. Right
Right
H. Right
Should the Department for Culture, Media and Sport be abolished?
The verdict
No won comfortably, but the most-respected No voices wanted reform, not defence: abolition was rejected by people who also said the department needs “a complete refocus”.
0%
No
majority
majority
31% Yes
Votes1,664
Skipped23
You—
% voting yes, by leaning
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
H. Left
Left
C. Left
Centre
C. Right
Right
H. Right
Should a new government be able to replace senior civil servants with its own appointees?
The verdict
Voters rejected letting a new government install its own senior civil servants, and even some who backed the idea sounded reluctant: “Reluctant yes, something has to change.”
0%
Yes
majority
majority
21% No
Votes1,669
Skipped22
You—
% voting yes, by leaning
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
H. Left
Left
C. Left
Centre
C. Right
Right
H. Right
Should MPs give up taxpayer-funded second homes for shared accommodation near Parliament?
The verdict
Voters overwhelmingly backed shared housing for MPs, arguing “They earn a fortune”, while the sharpest No lines warned of a “security nightmare” and a Parliament open only to those without families.
0%
No
majority
majority
48% Yes
Votes1,654
Skipped49
You—
% voting yes, by leaning
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
H. Left
Left
C. Left
Centre
C. Right
Right
H. Right
Should every part of England get Greater Manchester-style devolved powers?
The verdict
Voters narrowly rejected Greater Manchester-style powers for all of England, with the sharpest No case insisting that “Devolution must not mean fragmentation”, while Yes voters pointed to a country centralised on London.
0%
Yes
majority
majority
32% No
Votes1,686
Skipped27
You—
% voting yes, by leaning
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
H. Left
Left
C. Left
Centre
C. Right
Right
H. Right
Should the Royal Family’s finances, including the Sovereign Grant, face an independent review?
The verdict
Yes won comfortably, but the sharpest No reply was that the NAO already audits the Grant, and the top-rated No case held that the royals are a gain for the Treasury, not a drain.
Every governance verdict
- Was the government right to pay Sir Olly Robbins a six-figure settlement after sacking him over Mandelson’s vetting?NO 72%1,722 votes · 19 Oct
- Should anyone who donates to a political party be banned from winning government contracts?YES 68%1,744 votes · 18 Oct
- Should the Department for Culture, Media and Sport be abolished?NO 66%1,596 votes · 16 Oct
- Should a new government be able to replace senior civil servants with its own appointees?NO 69%1,664 votes · 15 Oct
- Should MPs give up taxpayer-funded second homes for shared accommodation near Parliament?YES 79%1,669 votes · 15 Oct
- Should every part of England get Greater Manchester-style devolved powers?NO 52%1,654 votes · 14 Oct
- Should the Royal Family’s finances, including the Sovereign Grant, face an independent review?YES 68%1,686 votes · 13 Oct
- Should council tax be frozen even if it means cuts to local services?NO 57%1,515 votes · 11 Oct
- Should councils use parking fees to protect services like parks and leisure centres from cuts?YES 66%1,570 votes · 9 Oct
- Should salaries from all publicly paid jobs for one person never exceed the PM's salary, £174,039 in 2026/27?YES 53%1,556 votes · 8 Oct
- Should MPs’ pay and benefits be pegged to median levels so they benefit only if we do?YES 75%1,533 votes · 7 Oct
- Should the government boost funding for cadets, Scouts and Guides to reach 30% more members by 2035?YES 56%1,459 votes · 6 Oct
- Should Andy Burnham intervene in the Manchester City Premier League case to protect investment?NO 98%1,363 votes · 4 Oct
- Should union political funds be donated to parties in proportion to members’ stated voting intentions?YES 56%1,308 votes · 3 Oct
- Should all online political content show who funded or sponsored it, with creators required to disclose this?YES 91%1,346 votes · 2 Oct
- Should politicians face criminal charges for deliberately lying to the public on matters of significant public concern?YES 93%1,338 votes · 2 Oct
- Is the UK heading in the wrong direction and needs major policy changes?YES 73%1,320 votes · 2 Oct
- Should all people who work in London be allowed to vote for the London Mayor, even if they live outside London?NO 74%1,350 votes · 1 Oct
- Should Andy Burnham call a general election to secure a new mandate for his Labour Conference goals?NO 58%1,377 votes · 1 Oct
- Should the UK introduce a single digital ID to replace National Insurance, NHS and licence numbers?NO 60%1,342 votes · 30 Sept
Show all 135 verdicts ↓
- Should local councillors receive intensive training at the start of their tenure after being elected?YES 90%1,289 votes · 29 Sept
- Should the law require MPs to hold regular surgeries in their constituencies?YES 90%1,275 votes · 28 Sept
- Should the UK make British Summer Time (BST) permanent and end clock changes?YES 55%1,245 votes · 28 Sept
- Should UK politicians be required to publish their tax returns?YES 83%1,235 votes · 26 Sept
- Should the UK Government cover Prince Harry's security requirements whilst he is resident in the UK?NO 75%1,170 votes · 25 Sept
- Is the UK's social contract broken?YES 87%1,204 votes · 24 Sept
- Can ultra-wealthy people effectively represent the views of ordinary people?NO 67%1,133 votes · 22 Sept
- Should being an MP disqualify you from taking paid second jobs?YES 74%1,126 votes · 21 Sept
- Has DEI hiring lowered professional standards in government departments?YES 79%1,086 votes · 20 Sept
- Is union activism sufficient experience to become a Bank of England director?NO 73%958 votes · 19 Sept
- Can the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) be trusted?NO 74%967 votes · 19 Sept
- Are democracies bad at public relations?YES 59%796 votes · 15 Sept
- Should 12th July 2027 become an English bank holiday to mark 1,100 years since England’s unification?NO 53%847 votes · 15 Sept
- Has King Charles granted corporate elites undue access by hosting AI bosses at Dumfries House?NO 65%776 votes · 14 Sept
- Should the UK introduce stricter rules to prevent large political donations from giving wealthy individuals influence over government policy?YES 62%827 votes · 14 Sept
- Would a requirement for MPs to have 5 years private sector experience improve Parliament?YES 62%796 votes · 13 Sept
- Should governments restrict AI development over fears of superintelligence?YES 50%707 votes · 11 Sept
- Is social security a bigger priority than national security?NO 74%716 votes · 11 Sept
- Should the Government ban unsafe British community events that cause injuries and waste emergency services resources?NO 57%717 votes · 11 Sept
- Should Andy Burnham make a televised address to the nation about immigration?YES 56%672 votes · 10 Sept
- Should the Government hold a golden share or veto rights in all UK water companies?YES 85%670 votes · 9 Sept
- Does Andy Burnham's plan for government encourage a sense of hope?NO 66%671 votes · 9 Sept
- Should the number of government ministries and civil servants be cut by one third?YES 74%604 votes · 7 Sept
- Should local authorities be granted more power to implement regional laws without Westminster approval?NO 58%587 votes · 6 Sept
- Is tightening rules on mega-donors essential to restore trust in UK democracy?YES 75%567 votes · 5 Sept
- Should lobbying be made completely transparent?YES 97%589 votes · 4 Sept
- Should MPs be banned from expensing their energy bills?YES 84%588 votes · 4 Sept
- Should Quangos be scrapped?YES 78%497 votes · 2 Sept
- Should the UK introduce a cap on individual donations to political parties?YES 73%392 votes · 28 Aug
- Should council tax be replaced by income and inheritance tax rises to maintain current local funding?NO 73%367 votes · 27 Aug
- Should any criminal conviction disqualify someone from serving as an MP?YES 57%307 votes · 25 Aug
- Should foreign governments be banned from all forms of funding or support for Westminster APPGs?YES 87%312 votes · 22 Aug
- Should UK local government be reformed so poor performing officers are identified and placed on improvement plans?YES 87%304 votes · 22 Aug
- Should MPs be banned from all second jobs except for maintaining professional qualifications?YES 74%281 votes · 19 Aug
- Should we stop taxpayer money funding expensive AI slop for politicians, billionaires and media companies?YES 73%258 votes · 17 Aug
- Was the "emergency alerts" regarding fire risks an abuse of power?YES 51%270 votes · 17 Aug
- Does Scotland benefit from being part of the UK?YES 83%242 votes · 15 Aug
- Are our UK streets stained with vape shops and barbershops?YES 86%220 votes · 13 Aug
- Is the UK economy in serious trouble?YES 79%182 votes · 10 Aug
- Will an MP openly refer to a Refnation verdict in a House of Commons debate before the end of the year?NO 65%147 votes · 9 Aug
- Should UK universities and charities declare all foreign donations over £50,000 on a public register within 28 days?YES 87%157 votes · 9 Aug
- Is civil war a real possibility?YES 52%153 votes · 9 Aug
- Would Reform UK's policies better serve Britain than Labour's?YES 54%164 votes · 8 Aug
- Should the public have a way to recall elected officials?YES 80%167 votes · 8 Aug
- Should government ministers declare all criminal convictions including spent ones?YES 85%160 votes · 7 Aug
- Should alcohol be banned from the Palace of Westminster?YES 58%158 votes · 6 Aug
- Should people convicted of serious criminal offences be permanently barred from serving as MPs or local councillors?YES 85%157 votes · 4 Aug
- Should the October Budget move money and power out of Westminster to every UK postcode?YES 55%138 votes · 3 Aug
- Does growing government regulation signal a shift to banning anything not explicitly permitted?YES 57%157 votes · 30 Jul
- Do you support a council tax and stamp duty replacement with a 0.48% tax on homes?YES 58%139 votes · 29 Jul
- Is Sadiq Khan right that falling crime proves London is safe?NO 63%144 votes · 29 Jul
- Should security for MPs' staff be urgently tightened following physical attacks and abuse?TIED12 votes · 27 Jul
- Should the Prime Minister regularly work from outside London?NO 57%30 votes · 27 Jul
- Would scrapping the digital ID scheme help Andy Burnham prioritise the cost of living?YES 62%107 votes · 26 Jul
- Should the BBC Licence be scrapped and replaced by a subscription service?YES 60%120 votes · 26 Jul
- Should Burnham run part of his government from a "Northern Number 10" in Manchester?NO 54%131 votes · 26 Jul
- Should the UK merge its science department into the business department?NO 65%98 votes · 25 Jul
- Will GOV.UK Wallet and One Login become de facto digital ID despite scrapping the national scheme?YES 67%95 votes · 25 Jul
- Should all national and regional official publications be in English, Welsh, and Braille only?YES 54%113 votes · 25 Jul
- Should the UK adopt a structured cross-government strategy for digital sovereignty?YES 69%126 votes · 24 Jul
- Should the UK spend more on domestic issues than international commitments?YES 88%126 votes · 24 Jul
- Should England move towards a more rules-based, plan-led planning system like those in continental Europe?YES 66%109 votes · 23 Jul
- Was scrapping digital ID the right call?YES 86%147 votes · 23 Jul
- Should the UK government pursue deeper devolution to drive economic growth?NO 50%121 votes · 23 Jul
- Should Andy Burnham scrap the government digital ID programme and expand North Sea oil and gas drilling?YES 85%13 votes · 22 Jul
- Should the UK maintain its sector-by-sector approach to AI regulation rather than adopt the EU's comprehensive AI Act?NO 55%11 votes · 22 Jul
- If everyone wins, does nobody win in politics?YES 63%115 votes · 22 Jul
- Did Starmer leave the country a better place than he found it?NO 60%130 votes · 22 Jul
- Should MPs be allowed second jobs?NO 74%108 votes · 22 Jul
- Should the digital ID scheme be scrapped for good?YES 63%105 votes · 22 Jul
- Do you believe that most politicians are honest?NO 73%113 votes · 22 Jul
- Will Andy Burnham make a better prime minister than Keir Starmer?NO 59%109 votes · 22 Jul
- Does trial by media undermine fair justice in the UK?YES 78%138 votes · 21 Jul
- Did Dale Vince receive favourable government contracts in return for his donations to Labour?YES 69%110 votes · 21 Jul
- Does the Right ownership majority control of Newspapers and media influence British politics too much?YES 61%182 votes · 21 Jul
- Has the UK government listened to its indigenous people and their concerns over the last 30 years?NO 65%102 votes · 21 Jul
- Should the GLA and Mayor of London be abolished?NO 56%222 votes · 21 Jul
- Should the UK provide round-the-clock security to all 650 MPs at a cost of up to £100m?NO 82%55 votes · 17 Jul
- Should there be a bank holiday if England win the world cup?YES 57%126 votes · 17 Jul
- Should the UK government prioritise economic growth and national security in its new space strategy?YES 80%56 votes · 16 Jul
- Should the government launch a campaign urging Britons to prepare for crises like extreme weather and cyber-attacks?YES 56%61 votes · 16 Jul
- Should UKRI halve the time it takes to process grant applications?YES 79%42 votes · 16 Jul
- Does the UK AI Security Institute have sufficient powers to protect against AI harms?NO 72%57 votes · 15 Jul
- Does the normal voter actually understand the realities of politics?NO 77%97 votes · 14 Jul
- Should politicians be held legally accountable for failing to fulfill specific, costed campaign promises?YES 68%98 votes · 13 Jul
- Should the UK ban unlicensed overseas casinos from sponsoring football clubs?YES 62%66 votes · 13 Jul
- Should individual political donations be limited to £10k?YES 58%98 votes · 13 Jul
- Would a one-year £100,000 cap on donations from new overseas voters curb foreign influence?YES 59%90 votes · 13 Jul
- Is US Vice President JD Vance right that British politics is broken?YES 67%94 votes · 13 Jul
- Has the UK government listened to its indigenous people and their concerns over the last 30 years?NO 80%88 votes · 12 Jul
- Should MPs and Lords debate Parliament's £3bn refurbishment options by the end of 2026?YES 61%38 votes · 11 Jul
- Is Andy Burnham's 'good growth' plan a genuine improvement on Boris Johnson's levelling up?NO 70%89 votes · 11 Jul
- Should Andy Burnham call a general election if he becomes Labour leader?NO 51%111 votes · 10 Jul
- Should all lobbying of ministers, aides and senior officials be publicly declared?YES 78%45 votes · 10 Jul
- Should pubs be allowed to open at 1am for England games?YES 81%83 votes · 9 Jul
- Is the UK too London-centric?YES 74%95 votes · 8 Jul
- Will devolution to the English regions increase growth and productivity?YES 52%75 votes · 8 Jul
- Does the UK need to update its mobile market regulatory framework?YES 68%56 votes · 8 Jul
- Should Scotland introduce a mansion tax doubling council tax on homes over £2m?NO 55%56 votes · 8 Jul
- Should data centres be allowed to opt into the NSIP regime for faster planning approval?NO 60%43 votes · 8 Jul
- Should the government introduce planning reforms to cut pre-application time by up to 12 months?YES 80%44 votes · 8 Jul
- Should England and Wales police leadership undergo an ethical reset and root-and-branch modernisation?YES 76%45 votes · 6 Jul
- Should the government review the use of non-corporate communication channels by public bodies?YES 57%44 votes · 5 Jul
- Should Nigel Farage be investigated by the parliamentary standards commissioner over his meeting with the Bank of England governor?YES 65%31 votes · 5 Jul
- Should the UK devolve more powers from Westminster to regional mayors and councils?YES 59%66 votes · 5 Jul
- Should the UK move more power to the regions, using the success of areas like Manchester as a model?YES 57%35 votes · 4 Jul
- Should the government stop awarding large consultancy contracts to meet its £1.2bn savings target?YES 58%31 votes · 3 Jul
- Do politicians, particularly on the far right and far left, put too much emphasis on the bad parts of the UK?YES 77%43 votes · 3 Jul
- Has the UK become a joke country with 7 prime ministers in 10 years?YES 78%86 votes · 1 Jul
- Should Andy Burnham's Greater Manchester model be used as a blueprint for national government?NO 52%23 votes · 1 Jul
- Should a new No 10 unit be based in Manchester?NO 67%21 votes · 1 Jul
- Should power be shifted from London to the regions?NO 52%33 votes · 30 Jun
- Should Andy Burnham pursue the biggest transfer of power out of Whitehall in modern times?YES 52%29 votes · 30 Jun
- Is the United Kingdom ungovernable?YES 58%52 votes · 28 Jun
- Should the Barnett formula for funding Wales and Scotland remain unchanged?NO 63%19 votes · 28 Jun