Submitted on Saturday 17th January 2026
Rejected on Thursday 19th February 2026
Current status: Rejected
Rejection code: duplicate (see below for details)
Expand the MP Recall Petition Process to include party defections
When MPs defect to another party during a Parliamentary term, they betray the trust of constituents who supported them. Voters elect MPs as local representatives, but party affiliation and manifesto commitments almost always drive that decision. Our political institutions must recognise this.
The Recall of MPs Act 2015 should be reformed to include voluntary party defections as a trigger condition.
Some may ask why not instead mandate automatic by-election upon defection. While this approach has its merits, by-elections cost taxpayers an average of £240,000, so it makes sense to only hold one when there is clear constituent demand. Some MP defections, such as Lee Anderson's in 2024, reflect shifting voter preferences - in such cases, automatic by-elections can prove unnecessary.
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:
There's already a petition about this issue. We cannot accept a new petition when we already have one about a very similar issue.
You are more likely to get action on this issue if you sign and share a single petition.
You may wish to sign this petition which calls for the same action:
Extend the Recall of MPs Act to cover MPs who change or leave political party
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/754418
216.73.216.30 Sat, 04 Jul 2026 06:32:00 +0100
