{"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/783992.json"},"data":{"type":"petition","id":783992,"attributes":{"action":"Legislate to require MPs who leave their party mid-tenure to face a by-election","background":"We believe if an MP defects from their party they were originally democratically elected in, they need to face a by election in their constituency to uphold the principles of democracy in the UK.","additional_details":"For example, over the past Parliamentary terms, there have been several defections from one party to another or an MP leaving a party to create their own. We believe that the principles of democracy in the UK mean that the constituents voted for that party through the First-Past-the-Post electoral system, not the individual and if the individual of the party they voted for defects or leaves, it is no longer a democratically elected constituency.","committee_note":"","state":"open","signature_count":17,"closing_date":"2027-04-23","created_at":"2026-10-07T16:46:12.868Z","updated_at":"2026-10-23T20:41:20.000Z","rejected_at":null,"opened_at":"2026-10-23T14:45:57.704Z","closed_at":null,"moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2026-10-07T17:39:40.000Z","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":"Esme Holyland","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":17}],"signatures_by_constituency":[{"name":"East Wiltshire","ons_code":"E14001217","mp":"Danny Kruger MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Harborough, Oadby and Wigston","ons_code":"E14001266","mp":"Neil O'Brien MP","signature_count":3},{"name":"Kenilworth and Southam","ons_code":"E14001309","mp":"Rt Hon Sir Jeremy Wright KC MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Leicester South","ons_code":"E14001327","mp":"Shockat Adam MP","signature_count":2},{"name":"Portsmouth North","ons_code":"E14001431","mp":"Amanda Martin MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Salisbury","ons_code":"E14001460","mp":"Rt Hon John Glen MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"South Leicestershire","ons_code":"E14001488","mp":"Alberto Costa MP","signature_count":6},{"name":"Stroud","ons_code":"E14001529","mp":"Dr Simon Opher MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Glasgow East","ons_code":"S14000084","mp":"John Grady MP","signature_count":1}],"signatures_by_region":[{"name":"East Midlands","ons_code":"E","signature_count":11},{"name":"West Midlands","ons_code":"F","signature_count":1},{"name":"South East","ons_code":"J","signature_count":1},{"name":"South West","ons_code":"K","signature_count":3},{"name":"Scotland","ons_code":"M","signature_count":1}],"other_parliamentary_business":[]}}}