Omar Bennett
Petitions have been a popular form of political participation in the UK, with the UK Parliament petitions website allowing members of the public to create and support petitions for consideration by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. While petitions are a formal way to request action from the government, there are also informal petitions, or petitions 'in the wild', which are organised with no intention to be sent to a formal 'petitions system'. This new informality offers greater scope for the creativity of citizens and activists, reflecting a rich clash of different claims to represent 'people power'.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who can create a petition? | British citizens and UK residents |
| Who can sign a petition? | British citizens and UK residents |
| How many signatures are required for a response from the government? | 10,000 |
| How many signatures are required for a petition to be considered for debate in Parliament? | 100,000 |
| How long is a petition open for signatures? | Six months |
| Who can submit a paper petition? | An MP or member of the Lords |
| Who can submit an e-petition? | Members of the public |
| Who reviews the petitions? | The Petitions Committee |
| What happens if a petition is rejected? | The petitioner is informed of the reason for rejection and may be suggested other ways to raise the issue |
| What are some reasons for rejection? | Defamatory or libellous content, false or unproven statements, causing personal distress or loss, naming individuals or organisations without responsibility to the UK Government or Parliament, etc. |
| What is an example of a petition that caused change? | The 2015 petition for the legalisation of cannabis in the UK, which garnered over 200,000 signatures and was debated in Parliament |
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What You'll Learn
Who can create a petition?
Petitioning is one of the most popular and persistent forms of political participation in the UK. Petitions can be created by British citizens and UK residents. They can be submitted directly online by the public (e-petitions) or presented by an MP or member of the Lords on the petitioners' behalf (paper petitions).
Petitions can be created by individuals or groups. For example, petitions can be used by groups affected by a Private Bill, or by non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Petitions can also be created by local councils, as well as by the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales (now Senedd Cymru), and the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Anyone can create a petition, and there are many ways to do so. Petitions can be created on the UK Government and Parliament website, or they can be "freestanding petitions", existing independently of any formal petitions system. These "in the wild" petitions offer greater scope for creativity and reflect a rich clash of different claims to represent "people power".
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Who can sign a petition?
In the UK, petitions can be created by British citizens and UK residents. Once a petition has been created, British citizens and UK residents can sign it. Signatures can only be added once per person.
To get a lot of signatures, it is important to reach as many people as possible. For local issues, this may involve going to places like newsagents, schools, community centres, or knocking on doors. For national issues, social media can be a useful tool to gain support. Volunteers can also be helpful for spreading the word and responding to queries.
For petitions to be signed by a lot of people, they need to be clear, accurate, and concise. People need to understand what they are signing quickly and easily, so overly formal or legalistic language should be avoided.
Petitions can be submitted directly online by the public, or in paper form, in which case they must be presented by an MP or member of the Lords.
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What are the rules for petitions?
Petitions are a popular and persistent form of political participation in the UK, with a long history. In modern times, the rules for petitions in the UK are as follows:
Who Can Create a Petition?
Only British citizens and UK residents can create a petition. Paper petitions must be presented on the petitioner's behalf by an MP or member of the Lords. E-petitions can be submitted directly online by the public.
Who Can Sign a Petition?
British citizens and UK residents can sign a petition. People can only sign a petition once.
Petitions should request a change to the law or government policy. They should be clear, accurate, and concise, and not overly formal or legalistic. They should also be realistic and concrete. For example, a petition might request that the government "employ more street cleaners and provide more public bins" instead of simply asking to "clean up our streets".
Petitions should not:
- Cause personal distress or loss, or intrude into someone's personal grief or shock without their consent
- Accuse an individual or organisation of wrongdoing, or name individual officials of public bodies (unless they are senior managers)
- Name family members of elected representatives or officials of public bodies
- Ask for someone to be given or lose an honour, a job, or any other reward or punishment
- Be offensive or extreme in its views, including attacking or criticising individuals or groups based on characteristics such as age, disability, or ethnic origin
At 10,000 signatures, the government will respond to the petition. At 100,000 signatures, the petition will be considered for debate in Parliament.
The petition is reviewed by the Petitions Committee, which selects petitions of interest to find out more about the issues raised. They have the power to press for action from the government or Parliament.
Yes, the rules for submitting a petition to a local council may vary. For example, the lead petitioner may be invited to speak about the petition at a Council meeting, and the petition may be presented at a Full Council or Committee meeting. Local councillors can be helpful in providing guidance and support for local petitions.
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How many signatures are needed for a response?
In the UK, petitions are a popular way for citizens to participate in politics and bring about change. Petitions can be formal, presented to Parliament by MPs or members of the Lords, or informal, organised independently to represent claims or opinions outside a formal system.
For a petition to receive a response from the UK government, it needs to reach 10,000 signatures. At this threshold, the government will formally respond to the petition. The Petitions Committee, which reviews all petitions, also has the power to press for action from the government at this stage.
To reach this signature count, petitioners employ various strategies. They may focus on local residents when campaigning on local issues, and use social media to gain wider support for national issues. Volunteers are crucial for spreading the word, and physical materials like signs and flyers can also help to attract signatures.
For a petition to be considered for a debate in Parliament, it needs to reach 100,000 signatures. The UK Parliament's Petitions Committee considers all petitions that receive this many signatures. However, there is no guarantee of a parliamentary debate, even if the petition surpasses this threshold.
Some petitions have gained significant public attention and exceeded these signature thresholds. For example, a 2015 petition calling for the legalisation of cannabis in the UK garnered over 200,000 signatures and was debated in Parliament. In 2016, a petition to provide meningitis B vaccines to all children in the UK received over 800,000 signatures, leading to parliamentary discussion. The petition with the most signatures as of March 2019, with 6.1 million signatories, called for the revocation of Article 50 and for the UK to remain in the European Union.
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What happens when a petition reaches 100,000 signatures?
In the UK, a petition is a formal written request sent to Parliament by members of the public, asking for some form of action by the Government. Petitions can be submitted online by the public or presented by an MP or member of the Lords on behalf of the petitioners.
Once a petition reaches 10,000 signatures, the UK Government must issue a response. When a petition reaches 100,000 signatures, it is almost always debated in Parliament. The Petition Committee will consider whether to put a petition forward for debate. However, there are no other parameters set out for action on a petition.
The Petitions Committee may decide not to put a petition forward for debate if the issue has already been discussed recently or if a debate is scheduled for the near future. In such cases, the creator of the petition is informed about these debates. MPs may also consider the petition before it reaches 100,000 signatures, and the committee may invite the creator for a discussion or ask for evidence from relevant people or organisations.
It is important to note that petitions must adhere to certain rules and standards to be accepted. They must be about something the Government or House of Commons is directly responsible for, and they cannot include offensive or extreme views, personal attacks, or confidential information that may cause distress.
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Frequently asked questions
An informal petition is one that is not intended to be sent to a formal 'petitions system' associated with a particular authority or institution. This new informality offers greater scope for the creativity of citizens and activists.
Informal petitions can be created by members of the public on paper or online. Paper petitions must be presented by an MP or member of the Lords, while e-petitions can be submitted directly.
Informal petitions should be clear, accurate, and concise. They should not use overly formal or legalistic language. They must also not be about an individual person or organisation that the UK government or parliament is not responsible for.
