MPs should be above sharing the petition calling for an election
More than two million people have signed a petition demanding a general election, and no serious person should engage with it.
It’s not that the views of the public aren’t important, and petitions do have some power. Since 2011, people can voice concerns via the petition.parliament.uk website, and those with more than 100,000 “will be considered for a debate in Parliament”. Will Labour consider a debate on whether they should give up after less than a year? Probably not. The website, despite some overexcited reporting, does not quite have the same value as a general election, nor is it direct democracy, as seen in Switzerland.
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Hide AdIt’s an expression of ideas, an outlet for the public to express frustration or cite issues they feel haven’t been recognised or addressed by politicians. It’s a last resort, a way to cry for help for those with no voice. As a result, it’s naturally been shared by Nigel Farage, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice and Conservative shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith. Elon Musk, a man with as much comprehension of parliamentary procedure as making a profit from a social media site, also joined in. For him, there is at least the excuse of naivety/idiocy/arrogance.
But for sitting MPs to join in, when they have a platform, constituencies, and actual time in parliament to address ideas, is beyond embarrassing.
Mr Farage, who has spent so long on the fringes of British politics, has ridden the wave of anti-immigration to parliament, where he can stand up in debates and make his case. Dissatisfied with a government, Nigel? Well maybe spend some days in parliament, rather than hosting TV shows and flying out to America hoping that danger to women will give you a job.
Another issue Tories should recognise in sharing it, is that we have absolutely no idea how real any of the people are. The petition website says only UK citizens or residents can sign and requires a postcode, but there is no verification process. We have no idea how many of the people are even real. Given the importance placed on voter ID by the last government, you’d think Conservatives would be hesitant to put so much stock in a petition, but then, that’s where they are in the election cycle. The natural party of government is now the whining party of protest.
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Hide AdAs for Starmer, he’s been asked about the protest, with even reports that he’s “broken his silence” on it. The election was less than five months ago. Labour is having a wobble in popularity due to inheritance tax on farms, cutting winter fuel payments, raising employers' national insurance and applying VAT to private school fees.
Labour argues it’s making difficult choices, and those will pay off in the long run. This week the Chancellor has even ruled out more taxes on businesses before the next election. That’s what governance is. Decisions. Debate. Campaigns. It is not being rattled by a petition, it’s about being in a position where you no longer have to sign them.
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