The Petitions Committee is a vital reminder of the democratic mandates that MPs posses
3 min read
As chair of the Petitions Committee, I see that its methods of working are rather different from those of other select committees in the House of Commons.
The committee and its team review all incoming e-petitions and assess them against a set of petitions standards to see if they can be accepted and opened for signature. Where necessary, we also liaise with and advise those individuals who have created them. We do not accept all petitions – for example, those related to an individual case or an issue that is not the responsibility of Parliament or government are excluded. Once open, petitions that achieve 10,000 signatures receive a response from government, and we consider all petitions that surpass 100,000 signatures for debate in Westminster Hall.
In this light, the committee is a unique jack-of-all-trades body, addressing a plethora of policy concerns the electorate hold and elevating them to tangible forms of political participation. This connection between the public and Parliament is the most important aspect, and a reminder to us all that the democratic mandates we possess are forever in the hands of those who vote us in and vote us out. They deserve our utmost attention.
So far, in the life of this Parliament, the committee has put forward petitions for debate on issues as varied as calls for another general election, the conflict in Israel and Palestine, and safety for children using social media. All of them reached more than 100,000 signatures – a clear indication of the successful engagement that e-petitions continue to have since the system’s inception in 2015.
That brings us to 2025, the ten-year anniversary of the committee and the parliamentary e-petitions system. There is much to celebrate.
As someone who was, in the past, a frustrated petitioner – fearing that petitions were little more than printed matter destined for a government wastepaper basket – I take pride in the committee’s vital function in our democracy today. E-petitions are the only route for the public to get a topic debated in Parliament, making them important vehicles for civic engagement and political expression. In this way, public opinion is the strongest player in the committee – a forum designed to serve the electorate.
The recent petition calling for another general election was an excellent example of this engagement. With more than three million signatures, it was debated in Parliament with an answering minister present. This directly facilitated a dialogue between the public and the government. Therefore, despite the fact that a petition is not a permissible means of triggering another election, this debate was a crucial example of the way the committee raises awareness of public discontent and facilitates a rapid response, constructively serving both those within and outside of the House of Commons.
I like to think of the Petitions Committee as a democratic barometer – and so far this year, I can confirm it is alive and well. In our representative democracy, voters must understand that when they speak, we listen. Creating a petition is one way for the public to use that voice. As thousands continue to be created and signed, we can take comfort in the knowledge that the electorate has faith in the effectiveness of our political system.
Could you imagine a similar mechanism existing in the Russian Duma or in Pyongyang? Here in the United Kingdom, we are a parliament of substantive representation, not merely descriptive. I am confident that all members of Parliament would agree that the Petitions Committee is part and parcel of how we do democracy in the UK. On its tenth birthday, that is something to be immensely proud of. Ifeel extremely privileged to act as its chair.
