{"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/778263.json"},"data":{"type":"petition","id":778263,"attributes":{"action":"Increase the Parliamentary Candidate Deposit to Reduce Ballot Paper Length","background":"The Government should set up a review with a view to increasing the candidate deposit to reflect modern values and inflation. A higher deposit would continue to allow genuine candidates to stand while discouraging frivolous or publicity-driven candidacies that unnecessarily complicate elections.","additional_details":"The current £500 deposit required to stand for election to the House of Commons has remained unchanged since 1985. In real terms, inflation has significantly reduced its value.  At recent General Elections, many constituencies have seen unprecedented numbers of candidates. This has resulted in excessively long ballot papers that are more expensive to print, more difficult for voters to navigate, and which can place additional administrative burdens on Returning Officers and polling staff.","committee_note":"","state":"open","signature_count":9,"closing_date":"2027-03-07","created_at":"2026-07-27T13:55:01.384Z","updated_at":"2026-09-07T17:40:00.000Z","rejected_at":null,"opened_at":"2026-09-07T14:28:00.153Z","closed_at":null,"moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2026-08-02T16:36:30.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":null,"government_response_at":null,"debate_threshold_reached_at":null,"debate_scheduled_on":null,"scheduled_debate_date":null,"debate_outcome_at":null,"creator_name":"Mason Scott Beirne","rejection":null,"government_response":null,"debate":null,"departments":[{"acronym":"CO","name":"Cabinet Office","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office"}],"topics":[],"signatures_by_country":[{"name":"United Kingdom","code":"GB","signature_count":9}],"signatures_by_constituency":[{"name":"City of Durham","ons_code":"E14001173","mp":"Mary Kelly Foy MP","signature_count":2},{"name":"Corby and East Northamptonshire","ons_code":"E14001179","mp":"Lee Barron MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"East Wiltshire","ons_code":"E14001217","mp":"Danny Kruger MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Solihull West and Shirley","ons_code":"E14001479","mp":"Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst MP","signature_count":3},{"name":"Dumfries and Galloway","ons_code":"S14000073","mp":"John Cooper MP","signature_count":1}],"signatures_by_region":[{"name":"North East","ons_code":"A","signature_count":2},{"name":"East Midlands","ons_code":"E","signature_count":1},{"name":"West Midlands","ons_code":"F","signature_count":3},{"name":"South West","ons_code":"K","signature_count":1},{"name":"Scotland","ons_code":"M","signature_count":1}],"other_parliamentary_business":[]}}}