{"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/779693.json"},"data":{"type":"petition","id":779693,"attributes":{"action":"Close the Recall Loophole: Stop MPs Escaping Accountability Through Re-Election","background":"Reform parliamentary standards and recall laws so MPs cannot evade consequences for serious, deliberate misconduct by relying on a loyal personal or political following to repeatedly secure re-election after recall. Create proportionate criminal sanctions and disqualification.","additional_details":"The recall system can be ineffective where a highly popular or populist MP has supporters willing to overlook serious misconduct because they prioritise the MP’s political aims. A recalled MP can currently stand again in the resulting by-election.\r\n\r\nParliament should create proportionate criminal sanctions and disqualification for serious, deliberate misconduct, preventing repeated recall and re-election from defeating accountability and allowing the same misconduct to recur indefinitely.","committee_note":null,"state":"rejected","signature_count":6,"created_at":"2026-08-15T08:03:05.634Z","updated_at":"2026-09-24T16:10:23.191Z","rejected_at":"2026-09-24T16:10:03.241Z","opened_at":null,"closed_at":null,"moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2026-08-15T08:17:40.000Z","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":null,"rejection":{"code":"no-action","details":"Petitions need to call on the Government or Parliament to take a specific action. \r\n \r\nWe're not sure exactly what you'd like the Government or Parliament to do. There is no loophole for MPs to evade a criminal investigation or prosecution through a by-election.\r\n \r\nYou could start a new petition explaining clearly what you would like the Government or Parliament to do.\r\n\r\nThere are currently some open petitions which have some relevance to the topic of your petition, that you may wish to sign:\r\n\r\nBan MPs who have resigned from standing in resulting by-election for same party\r\nhttps://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/776397\r\n\r\nPrevent MPs who resign their seat from standing for re-election for 12 months\r\nhttps://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/776390\r\n\r\nMPs who resign from the HoC should be banned from standing for five years\r\nhttps://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/776574\r\n\r\nDisqualify resigned MPs from standing until 4 years after next General Election\r\nhttps://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/776584"},"government_response":null,"debate":null,"departments":[],"topics":[]}}}