Petition for general election surpasses two million signatures in less than a day: Why it's a waste of time
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
A petition for a new general election has reached over two million signatures as the Labour party faces widespread disapproval for policies introduced since their win back in July. It was started by pub-owner Michael Westwood and accuses the ruling Labour Party of going back on the promises it made at the time.
Petitions on the UK government website allow citizens to request changes in policy or action from the government. Any UK citizen or resident aged 18 or over can sign a petition. If a petition reaches 100,000 signatures, it may be considered for a parliamentary debate, and the government must respond to petitions with 10,000 signatures. This process was created back in 2006 to modernise and enhance the way the public could engage with the government. Those who have signed the petition hope for the matter to be discussed in Parliament, or at least to be addressed at the expense of Keir Starmer's personal pride.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThis petition has been backed by big names like Richard Tice and Nigel Farage.
In a post to Instagram reels, Farage addressed the petition saying “I’ve never seen anything like it”.
Even Tesla boss and owner of X, Elon Musk has raised his voice in the conversation, posting his own comments to his 200 million X followers writing: "The people of Britain have had enough of a tyrannical police state."
However, it seems that the masses flocking to sign the petition fail to understand the working of the Parliamentary system and how this is a waste of both government time and their own.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdWe have seen similar petitions in the past ignored in Parliament despite having a far greater precedent. The petition for a second Brexit referendum which got six million signatures argued that the public should have another chance to vote on Brexit. It focused on the concept of enforcing a minimum turnout and vote share to consolidate the legitimacy of the vote. This petition argued the definition of democracy, rather than disputing the direct result of a general election. And yet, in the same way that this current petition will be ignored- no action was taken by Parliament.
After winning a landslide majority of 412 seats, comparable only to Blair and Thatcher there is no precedent to call for a new general election.The result was decisive, and the current government has a clear popular authority to make the decisions they believe are necessary.
Critics point to the low 34% of the overall electorate vote giving reason for concern.
However this argument would not incite a new general election but rather an argument on the voting system in the UK- and this referendum was also already called and ignored back in 2011.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe United Kingdom is not a direct democracy- it is a representative one, where elected officials make decisions on behalf of the people. In this large Commons majority this petition will not stand a chance- not to mention that 2 million signatures is a puny number in comparison to the 68.35 million people of the UK.
Calling for an election diverts focus from important national issues especially at a time when so many crises are unfolding both internationally and at home.
The Government is in the middle of enforcing their new budget and restabilising NHS services. They are also caught among the most potentially volatile international relations in recent memory.
At a time when the UK must project itself as a strong entity internationally- this petition only seeks to do the opposite.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAnd on the matter of international opinion, it seems that many of the votes have filtered in from abroad- no doubt thanks to Musk’s two opinionated posts on the matter. The petition has received signatures from a whopping 34 different countries. Surprisingly 0.13% of the entire population of the Vatican city have signed on the matter- imagine if 0.13% of the UK’s population exercised their opinion on their government!
To suggest that a public outcry should automatically lead to a new election undermines the stability of the state. Parliamentary scrutiny, through questioning, debate and demanding accountability is the right channel for addressing dissatisfaction. When opposition parties fail to challenge the government effectively it reflects more on their weakness than on the government’s actions.
So perhaps these signatories would have more success by using the time they have spent signing pointless petitions- and lobbying their own constituency representatives instead?
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.