Rejected petition: Mandatory general election if a governing party changes leader
Rejected on
I want legislation that forces a general election to be held if the leader of the governing party resigns during the government’s term in office.
When governing parties get a new leader they do not have a country-wide mandate to govern. A fresh election each time a governing party changes leader will ensure that the new PM has democratic legitimacy. Ultimately the PM's authority should derive from the people rather than a faction of party members. Leadership contests held solely within a political party do not provide the public with a meaningful say in who governs the country and undermines public trust in government.
Why was this petition rejected?
There’s already a petition about this issue. We cannot accept a new petition when we already have one about a very similar issue.
You are more likely to get action on this issue if you sign and share a single petition.
You may wish to sign these petitions:
The removal or death of a PM should trigger a general election
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/760199General election now – and always call one if a PM is replaced
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/771833We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.