Petition with 3 million signatures calling for General Election debated

London: So, there was this huge petition, right? Over 3 million people signed it, asking for a general election. They had a debate about it in Parliament, and it lasted almost three hours. MPs from all parties joined in, which is pretty cool.

The petition was started by a guy named Michael Westwood back in November. He wanted the government to call for a general election, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer wasn’t having it. You need at least 10,000 signatures for the government to respond, and 100,000 for a debate. This one blew past that with over 3 million signatures!

But here’s the twist: a lot of those signatures came from outside the UK. People from 184 countries signed it, with Australia, Spain, and the US leading the pack. That definitely stirred up some controversy.

The government had already responded to the petition back in December, saying they were focused on fixing things in the UK after the last election. They’re all about rebuilding and restoring public trust, or so they say.

During the debate, MPs from different parties raised various issues like the economy, energy, and immigration. It was interesting to see everyone come together to discuss these topics. Jamie Stone, the Lib Dem MP, kicked things off, and they kept it civil, with speeches limited to six minutes.

At the end of the day, the debate was more about airing concerns than making any decisions. Jamie Stone wrapped it up by saying that the petition showed a healthy democracy. He emphasized that while petitions are important, they’re not a substitute for actual decision-making in Parliament.

So, what’s next? Well, not much really. The debate happened, and the government has acknowledged it. But the petition itself won’t change anything. It’s more about showing public sentiment than making immediate changes.