2.3 Create a petition

Raising awareness of an issue through petitions can connect people from across the UK on an issue that matters to them. It can demonstrate to MPs how an issue is affecting their constituents and how strongly people feel collectively.

The UK Parliament has an official petitions process. You can create your petition online at petition.parliament.uk [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] . It must be about something the UK Parliament or government is responsible for. Only British citizens and UK residents can create or sign a petition.

If your petition achieves 10,000 signatures you will get a response from the government. A government response is a really important step for any campaign. It can help clarify the government’s position and provides the petitioner with further, more detailed information from which they may choose to take further action.

If your petition achieves 100,000 signatures then it will (almost always) be scheduled for a debate. MPs might consider a petition for a debate before it reaches 100,000 signatures. Sometimes people who create petitions are invited to take part in a discussion with MPs or government ministers, or to give evidence to a select committee. The Petitions Committee may also write to other people or organisations to ask them about the issue raised by your petition.

While you may set out with the ambition to change the law, there are many other significant outcomes that a UK Parliament petition can achieve. Gaining debating time in the UK Parliament’s agenda is a huge step as ministers must explain government policy and face challenging questions from MPs of all parties. And never underestimate the value of raising public awareness of an issue. It can connect people across the UK with similar experiences and be the start of a wider campaign to effect change.

Sites such as Change.org and 38Degrees.org.uk can also be used to set up online petitions, or you can submit a petition (almost like a formal complaint) to an organisation directly. In choosing which petition site to use, you need to think about what you are trying to achieve. The UK Parliament petition site is useful if you want a government response and the subject matter discussed in UK Parliament. Other petition sites can help raise awareness, gather support, and gather media attention.

A good petition is clear and easy to understand, it has a realistic and specific aim (it’s often a good idea to start with a smaller change which can be built on), it outlines the issue and provides links to further information, it is directed to the right people, and launched at the right time.

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland you can also find your devolved representative. Read Section 3 to find out more.

If you live outside of the UK, you can also look up your own elected representative(s).