Election Now: How do petitions work and when are they binding?

The Independent’s petition calling for a general election to resolve the political turmoil in Westminster has already collected over 300,000 signatures from members of the public exasperated with the ongoing state of chaos within the Conservative government.

The ousting of prime minister Liz Truss on Thursday and the emerging possibility of the deposed and discredited Boris Johnson joining the race to succeed her has only given the project fresh momentum and renewed impetus.

Opposition leaders Sir Keir Starmer, Sir Ed Davey and Nicola Sturgeon have all likewise insisted that a general election is now mandatory to restore order to British politics but the Tories have so far insisted they remain fit to govern and will rally around a new leader, who will be selected by the end of next week.

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Former chancellor Rishi Sunak, Commons leader Penny Mordaunt and defence secretary Ben Wallace are being tipped to join the fray but if their party cannot find at least one unity candidate who can command the support of 100 MPs by Friday 28 October, the clamour for a national vote will non doubt become deafening.

Many in the UK remain strongly opposed to having a third prime minister foisted on the electorate within a matter of months and are disinclined to wait until 17 December 2024 to have their say on the leadership of the country at a time of dire economic crisis.

So how do such petitions work and when, if at all, do they become binding?

A platform like Change.org, which is hosting The Independent’s Election Now campaign, offers activists, be they organisations or individuals, a free space on which to promote their chosen cause, which can be a local, national or even international concern.

As the petition page in question begins to be shared online via social media and email campaigns, a process that typically starts out with the support of the organiser’s family and friends, word gradually begins to spread and soon, with a bit of luck, a large supporter network is built up.

If the petition continues to gather momentum by striking a chord with the public, it is likely eventually to attract media attention, which in turn will help to amplify its message and promote it even further afield, enabling the number of signatures to snowball.

Offline events can also make a major contribution to the cause.

While not binding, petitions with sufficient support can begin to place very real pressure on decision-makers to respond and address the issue seriously, given that any mass sign-up provides demonstrable statistical proof that the extent of public concern about the matter in hand is significant.

Eva Steinhardt, a campaigner at Change.org, told The Independent: “Petitions are a way to raise awareness of an issue, rally support and take action together to make change happen.

“In my experience, some petitions are successful on their own but most are a starting point for a campaign. Once thousands of people have signed a petition, together their voices are more powerful than if they were speaking on their own. Whether that’s crowdfunding, sharing messages on social media, securing media coverage, engaging with the decision making or organising a protest: a petition is a great tool to show support and then use as a springboard to take further action.

“Whether a petition has hundreds or millions of signatures, what’s most important is to be clear in what you’re asking for, and to work together with your supporters to keep up the pressure.”

When it comes to making an appeal to Britain’s Parliament, any petition started on the Parliamentary website that passes 10,000 signatures automatically earns a response from the government, while those with 100,000 or more have to be considered for debate by lawmakers.

An earlier petition launched in September by activist Darrin Charlesworth “to end the chaos of the current government” attracted considerable support and drew the following response from Ms Truss’s government: “The UK is a parliamentary democracy and the Conservative Party remains the majority party. The prime minister has pledged to ensure opportunity and prosperity for all people and future generations.”

At the time of writing, it has more than 700,000 signatures, many of which were added in the wake of then-chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s disastrous “mini-Budget” of 23 September, which spooked global financial markets, tanked the pound, forced the Bank of England to buy up £65bn in government debt to prop up pensions funds, sent the Conservative Party’s popularity crashing in the polls and eventually cost both Ms Truss and Mr Kwarteng their jobs.

In the case of The Independent’s Election Now campaign, half a million signatures or more would serve as a powerful expression of public dissatisfaction with the status quo after months of Tory turmoil.

It would also provide meaningful weight to the idea that the Conservative’s latest leader does not have the support of the public they presume to govern without having presented a manifesto and sought a democratic mandate at the ballot box.