A petition calling on the Prime Minister to call a general election has received more than 70,000 signatures.
Keir Starmer is under pressure with another petition urging him to call a general election (Image: Getty)
A petition demanding Sir Keir Starmer call a general election has amassed more than 70,000 signatures. The third of its kind to call for a national vote since Labour swept to power in July 2024, the petition on Parliament’s website had racked up 72,111 signatures at the time of writing.
The author of the petition said that since he became prime minister, Sir Keir’s Government has brought in measures which no one voted for because they weren’t in Labour‘s election manifesto. They added: “We believe we were misled and the obfuscation has only got worse since Starmer took power. It is time for action.
“We believe the Government has failed to defend our borders from the small boats. We have no confidence in the way this Government has acted. Pensioners and farmers have been directly affected by policies that were not included in Labour’s manifesto.
“Our country cannot go on like this. Dissolve Parliament and call a General Election now!”
Since Sir Keir entered Downing Street, his Government has axed winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners and announced plans to charge some farmers inheritance tax. Labour U-turned on both policies amid fierce public backlashes.
The latest petition gained traction between Christmas and New Year’s Day, jumping from fewer than 10,000 signatures to over 50,000 in just a few days.
If it reaches 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament’s Westminster Hall. This number is very likely to be reached given the petition runs for six months and isn’t due to close until June 10.
A previous petition calling for a general election led to a debate in Parliament on January 6 last year after it collected over three million signatures.
The Labour Government issued a response to the petition a month before, commenting: “Our full focus is on fixing the foundations, rebuilding Britain, and restoring public confidence in government.”
Its response pointed to efforts to fix the NHS, stabilise the economy and secure Britain’s borders.
Sir Keir, responding to the 2024 petition, said: “Look, I remind myself that very many people didn’t vote Labour at the last election. I’m not surprised that many of them want a rerun. That isn’t how our system works.
“There will be plenty of people who didn’t want us in the first place. So, what my focus is on is the decisions that I have to make every day.”
The second petition calling for a general election is due to be debated by Parliamentarians on January 12 after it gained over one million signatures.
Last year was a turbulent one for the Labour Government, with sluggish economic growth and leadership rumblings amid dismal poll ratings for the ruling party.
In his New Year message, Sir Keir said the Government would “defeat the decline and division offered by others” by “staying the course” with its efforts to improve public services and ease the cost of living.
The Prime Minister warned “renewal is not an overnight job”, and said the challenges the country faces were decades in the making.
He told the country: “In 2026, the choices we’ve made will mean more people will begin to feel positive change in your bills, your communities and your health service.”
