Election petition hits two million signatures in huge blow for Keir Starmer

A petition accusing Labour of breaking its promises and calling on Sir to call a General Election has now hit two million signatures, in a damaging blow for the Government.

The petition was started by businessman Michael Westwood, who, at the weekend, voiced his anger at what he sees a “betrayal” of the British electorate.

Mr Westwood’s description of the petition, carried on the Government’s website, says: “I would like there to be another General Election.

“I believe the current Labour Government have gone back on the promises they laid out in the lead up to the last election.”

It was only started on November 20 – but reached the latest milestone this morning, with the petition having been shared by among others X boss .

Speaking to Express.co.uk yesterday, Mr Westwood, owner of Britain’s ‘cheapest pub’ the Wagon and Horses, which sells pints for as little as £2.30, said: “The British public feel like they have been betrayed with the promises that were told in the lead to the election and then what has been delivered since – it looks nothing like what was promised.

“I think people have had enough, people have seen what’s happened over in America as well, and I think that’s had a knock-on effect that, actually, if people stand together and vote then we can make a change.”

Commenting on the situation, Kundan Bhaduri, Property Developer at The Kushman Group, said: “Labour’s first months in power have been about as reassuring as a builder telling you, “Trust me, it’ll hold.”

“As a property developer and business owner, Labour’s so-called wealth-generation strategy seems more focused on taxing success than fostering it.

“No wonder this petition hit a million signatures faster than a Londoner spots a parking warden.”

Vernon Bogdanor, Professor of Government, said: “There is no way of getting a government with a large majority to go to the country before it wishes to do so. But if it reaches a certain level, it is embarrassing for the government, and has to be debated in Westminster Hall.

“It is to my mind odd that a government which has secured just one-third of the vote – 34% – can enjoy such a huge majority. And, given that turnout was just under 60% it was supported by just 20% of the voters.”

As Mr Bogdanor says, the British electorate does not have a direct mechanism for forcing a general election through a petition, regardless of how many people sign it.

General elections in the UK are governed by the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, which, though largely supplanted by the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022, clarified the conditions under which elections are called.

The current framework leaves the calling of an election primarily in the hands of the sitting government and the monarch.

Broadly speaking, there are three ways general elections can be triggered:

• Prime Minister’s Request: The Prime Minister can request the monarch to dissolve Parliament, leading to a general electionUnder the 2022 Act, this is a matter of political convention rather than a legal hurdle, restoring the previous flexibility
• Loss of Confidence in the Government: If the government loses a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons and no alternative government is formed within 14 days, an election would follow
• Scheduled General Election: General elections are held every five years, but the Prime Minister can choose to call one earlier.

While petitions, such as those hosted on the UK Parliament’s petition website, can attract significant attention and force Parliament to debate the issue, they do not have the legal power to enforce an early election.

A well-supported petition might influence political discourse or pressure MPs and the government, but the decision ultimately remains political, not procedural.

A government petition cannot directly force a general election, although it can contribute to public and political momentum for one.