Back in 2002:
"Referendums should be held when the electorate are in the best
possible position to make a judgment. They should be held when people
can view all the arguments for and against and when those arguments have
been rigorously tested. In short, referendums should be held when
people know exactly what they are getting. So legislation should be
debated by Members of Parliament on the Floor of the House, and then put
to the electorate for the voters to judge.
We should not ask people to vote on a blank
sheet of paper and tell them to trust us to fill in the details
afterwards. For referendums to be fair and compatible with our
parliamentary process, we need the electors to be as well informed as
possible and to know exactly what they are voting for. Referendums need
to be treated as an addition to the parliamentary process, not as a
substitute for it."
Source.
