Submitted on Thursday 4th July 2019
Rejected on Thursday 25th July 2019
Current status: Rejected
Rejection code: no-action (see below for details)
Stop political parties improperly influencing MPs’ votes
When parties ‘whip’ MPs, there's an implicit suggestion that party endorsement at the next election depends on the MPs voting according to the party line. Whether done openly or through coded messages, this undermines MPs’ ability to vote in good conscience, and should be tightly regulated.
It is legitimate for party officials to remind MPs, before a vote, of the relevant manifesto commitments that helped get them elected. But MPs are able to keep themselves informed of recently-developed party policy, if they wish, and pointedly drawing it to individual MPs’ attention in the run-up to a vote might induce them to put party policy above their constituents’ interests. Deliberately trying to influence MPs in this way should be a criminal offence and offenders should be prosecuted.
You can't sign this petition because it was rejected. But you can still comment on it here at Repetition.me!
The Government e-Petitions Team gave the following reason:
We can't accept your petition because we are not sure what action you would like banned.
Political parties can ask MPs to vote in a particular way. However, the decision is still made by the MP.
You could start a new petition calling for the UK Government to no longer appoint whips if that is something you would like to see happen.
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