The Putney Debates 2017 were held on 2-3 February 2017 at St Mary's Church, Putney, to address the UK's constitutional future in the wake of the vote to leave the European Union.
Session II: Changing and Strengthening the Role of the People, chaired by Professor Paul Craig, examines direct democracy, referendums, and the role of social media in strengthening the voice of the people.
Panellists:
Paul Craig (CHAIR), Oxford Law Professor & Member of Venice Commission: Changing and Strengthening the Role of the People
Philip Kay, Businessman and author of Rome's Economic Revolution: Is Representative Democracy Ripe for Review and Modification in Favour of More Direct Democracy?
Will Hutton, Writer and Political economist: Empowering the Local
John Howell, Governance, finance & development advisor: Unfinished Revolution
Philip Schofield, Professor of Legal & Political Thought, UCL: ‘The People is my Caesar’ Jeremy Bentham’s Radical Democratic State
Robert Hazell CBE, Founder of the Constitution Unit, UCL: We Need Fewer Referendums, with Higher Thresholds
Anne Deighton, Oxford Professor of European Politics: Referendums for EU Politics?
Talha Ahmad, Solicitor and Muslim Council of Britain Committee Member: Muscular liberalism vs inclusive pluralism in post Brexit Britain
Linda Risso, Senior Fellow, Institute of Historical Research, London: Social media and democracy
Mark Knights, History Professor, University of Warwick: Pre-Modern Petitioning and its Implications Today
