Another UK election? A petition for general election has almost 1.8 million signatures. Over 1.78 million people have signed an online petition in the UK calling for a new general election, and the parliament is now scheduled to discuss the issue this week. What’s going on with the administration in the UK?
Petition for general election
Since its debut, an online petition for a new general election in the UK has amassed around 1.8 million signatures. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, responded to the success by reposting the message, saying, “Wow.”
Several right-wing lawmakers started the petition, which they have been posting on social media and urging people to sign and spread in opposition to the Keir Starmer-led administration.
Who launched this petition and why?
Less than five months after winning the general election on July 4, the Labour government has been the target of intense criticism and condemnation for its post-election initiatives, such as the removal of the Winter Fuel Payment and a new farmer inheritance tax.
Michael Westwood is the individual behind the legislative petition. He has called for “another general election” in protest of the Labour administration, saying that it had “retracted the promises they made in the run-up to the last election.”
Westwood, a small business owner, was once well-known for owning the Waggon and Horses, the “cheapest pub” in the UK, where pints cost as little as £2.30. On October 31, one day after the UK Budget was presented, he started the petition.
According to an Express report, Westwood felt that the British people felt “betrayed” by Labour.
“The promises made in the run-up to the election and what has been delivered since look nothing like what was promised,” Westwood said, adding that the British population felt deceived.
He added, “I believe that people have had enough and have witnessed what has transpired in America as well. I believe that this has had a ripple effect that, in fact, if people band together and vote, we can make a change.”
Westwood also disclosed that, as a small businessman who thought it would be preferable to elect “the devil you know,” he voted Conservative in the July 4 election rather than because he had a strong affinity for the party.
What comes next?
As of 08:40 am (IST), 1,786,902 signatures had been added to the petition, according to the UK Government and Parliament.
According to the criteria, a petition requesting a change to the law or policy will be addressed by the UK government once it has accumulated over 10,000 signatures.
The petition gets taken up for discussion in the parliament if it receives more than 100,000 signatures.
The discussion is expected to take place early this week, according to reports.
Labour Party declining popularity
According to recent polls, the Labour government has suffered severe defeats in its first four months in power. Additionally, the popularity of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has drastically declined.
The Labour Party is viewed negatively by 49% of the UK people, three points behind the Conservative Party, according to an Ipsos poll. In the meantime, two out of five Britons believe that their situation has gotten worse since Labour became office.
Just 19% of people think that Britain is on the right track, while at least 56% think that it is going in the wrong direction.