Mother, (sorry, finally come back) you are simply delegitimising the vote.
It isnt enough to say the electorate arent qualified. Why? Because its stating they arent qualified to decide how and by whom they are governed. It undermines all western democratic values. We do not, and should not, have some form of elitist democracy, whether thats academic, social, professional, etc etc.
No one questions the right of the electorate to decide who governs, yet the role of government is a hugely complex, hugely far reaching entity in itself. Being tested on say the National Employment Savings Trust (Amendment) Order 2015 , in order to qualify for a right to vote, would bring our democracy as we know it, to its knees.
Those that are trusting their MP to ensure they seek 'expert' advice, or assume their MP has made themselves aware of all facts, prior to acting on our behalf, need only look at the parliament voting and attendance records, or the time given to say a bill presentation, to see that isnt the case.
Take the Lisbon Treaty for example. The actual treaty was only deposited in the Commons on the 17th December. Parliament had broken up for christmas recess, the day before. The first day back in parliament was the 7th of Jan, and their first vote? It was to ratify the Treaty. Many many MPs complained that indeed theyd only received it at 11:45 that morning, but most, just werent bothered. Had many MPs read it? Had any MPs even read it? If you ask that question, they will mutter that various parts had been discussed and debated etc and they were fully au-fait with its content. But they werent. They hadnt read it. Theyd taken on trust what Gordon Brown and the government had told them at the time.
The issue it appears, is that indeed, we dont expect our MPs to sit hour after hour, going line by line through legislation. We dont expect it,we dont demand it, and we certainly dont make it a legal obligation that they do. We dont even make it a legal obligation that they vote at all.
Your MP, can sit in Parliament representing you, and not actually vote on anything for his/her entire tenure. Nick Cleggs record on voting is shocking. Last count, was around 14%. Thats 86% of votes he didnt represent his constituents view on.
Then theres constituency representation. Stuart Bell for example, MP for Middlesborough, didnt hold a constituency surgery for 15 years. And it goes on and on and on.
To assume some wonderful representative institution is at work here, disregards all the evidence that says otherwise, and as weve seen by the referendum, representative on the EU question, its not.