How to Submit a UK Parliament Petition

A UK Parliament petition can put a public demand in front of ministers and MPs, but it isn’t a shortcut to changing the law. Your wording, subject and support must meet Parliament’s rules before the petition can go live.

If you care about borders, tax, crime, the NHS or another national issue, a focused petition gives people one clear request to support. Follow the process carefully, then build support without making claims you can’t prove.

What a UK Parliament petition can achieve

An e-petition is an online request created by a member of the public for the UK Government or Parliament to take action. The Petitions Committee checks each submission before publication. It can reject petitions that fall outside the rules, duplicate an existing petition or ask the wrong authority to act.

The main signature thresholds are:

Signatures	What happens
10,000	The Government must issue a response.
100,000	The petition is considered for debate in Parliament.
Six months	Most published petitions close after this period.

Reaching 100,000 signatures doesn’t guarantee a debate. The Petitions Committee decides whether to schedule one, and it can decline if Parliament has recently debated the same subject or has already scheduled a debate.

A government response also isn’t a promise to adopt the requested policy. It gives the relevant department a formal opportunity to explain its position. A parliamentary debate can raise pressure and attract attention, but it doesn’t automatically create a new law.

You can read the official petition guidance before preparing your submission. It explains the signature thresholds, publication process and main restrictions.

An online petition is usually the most direct route for an individual campaign. Paper petitions are different. An MP or member of the House of Lords must present one to Parliament, so you need to contact a parliamentarian if you want to use that route.

Check that your petition qualifies

Before submitting a UK Parliament petition, make sure the issue belongs at Westminster and that your request is precise. The strongest petitions ask for one action that the Government or Parliament can take.

Use these checks:

• Write a request rather than a general complaint. “We want the Government to…” is a useful way to start.
• Confirm that the subject falls under UK Government or Parliament’s responsibility.
• Search the petitions website for an existing petition on the same issue.
• Keep the wording serious, factual and free from party slogans or personal attacks.

The petition can address a political issue, such as immigration policy, taxation or policing. However, it shouldn’t promote a political party, candidate or commercial organisation. A campaign group can support the petition, but the request itself must be about public action.

Parliament can reject petitions about matters controlled by devolved governments, local councils or other public bodies. A request about council parking, bin collections, local planning or a county budget usually belongs with the relevant council instead.

For example, residents in Durham who want to influence a local authority should use local routes alongside any contact with councillors. This guide to influencing local council decisions covers petitions, public questions, consultations and scrutiny.

The rules also exclude duplicate petitions, requests about active legal cases, defamatory material, freedom of information requests and petitions that target a private individual. The Parliament’s e-petition rules give more detail on subjects that may be refused.

You must be a British citizen or UK resident to create or sign an e-petition. Before publication, the creator needs at least five other supporters. Those supporters must confirm their support by email, giving the petition a minimum starting group of six people.

How to submit your petition online

The online form is straightforward, but preparation matters. A rushed title or vague request can make it harder for people to understand what they are signing.

1. Choose one clear action

Start with the result you want. A petition asking the Government to “fix Britain” is too broad to give ministers a useful question. A request to change one policy, introduce one measure or review one decision is easier to assess and share.

For example, “We want the Government to publish an annual report on small boat removals” is more precise than “Stop illegal immigration”. The first statement identifies an action. The second expresses a position without explaining what Parliament should do.

2. Search for an existing petition

Check the official petitions website before drafting your own. A similar open petition may already exist, and Parliament generally won’t publish a duplicate.

If an existing petition covers the same subject but makes a different request, read its wording carefully. You may still have a distinct proposal, but the difference must be clear.

3. Write a direct title and request

Keep the title short enough to understand at a glance. Then state the action in plain English. Avoid slogans, insults, exaggerated claims and several unrelated demands in one sentence.

A useful structure is:

“We want the Government to [take a defined action] because [brief reason].”

The title should describe the request, not the entire campaign behind it. People need to know what they are supporting before they add their name.

4. Add accurate background

Explain why the request matters, using information that can be checked. Include relevant dates, official figures or existing government commitments where they help readers understand the issue.

Don’t turn the background into a manifesto. The petition should make one request, while the supporting explanation supplies enough context for a reader to judge it.

5. Gather five supporters

After you submit the draft, ask at least five other eligible people to support it. They must be British citizens or UK residents, and they need to confirm their support through the email sent by Parliament.

Check your inbox and contact supporters if they haven’t completed the confirmation step. The petition won’t move forward until the required support is in place.

6. Wait for moderation

The Petitions Committee reviews the submission against its rules. If accepted, the petition is published and people can sign it. If rejected, read the reason carefully before preparing another version. Changing a vague or duplicate request may help, but the revised petition must still meet every rule.

The government’s petition guidance also explains how responses and parliamentary consideration work.

What happens after publication?

Once your petition goes live, share its direct link with people who are likely to understand the issue. Explain the request in your own words rather than posting the link without context.

Local groups, newsletters, community meetings and social media can all help. Contacting your MP may also be useful, especially if the petition connects with a current policy question or constituency concern. Keep your messages accurate and avoid sending repeated posts to people who haven’t asked for them.

A petition normally stays open for six months. During that period, monitor the signature total and keep supporters informed about important developments. Don’t change the original request after people have signed it. If the campaign’s goal changes, explain the difference openly rather than presenting a new demand as the old one.

The official petition creation tips recommend clear wording and careful attention to Parliament’s rules. They also help campaigners avoid requests that belong at local or devolved level.

When a petition reaches 10,000 signatures, the Government must respond. The response may support the request, reject it or describe action already under way. At 100,000 signatures, the petition becomes eligible for consideration by the Petitions Committee, but the committee still decides whether a debate would add value.

A response or debate is most useful when the petition has a clear demand. Ministers and MPs can respond to a defined proposal more directly than to a broad expression of anger.

Build support without weakening the message

Good promotion starts with a simple explanation. Tell people what action the petition requests, why it matters and what the relevant threshold could achieve. Avoid presenting 100,000 signatures as a guaranteed vote or government policy change.

Use evidence that readers can check. Government statistics, parliamentary papers, official reports and reputable research are stronger than unattributed social media claims. If the issue affects a particular area, add local evidence without turning a national petition into a council dispute.

Campaign groups and political parties can help spread a petition, but their involvement shouldn’t obscure the request. Supporters who connect a petition to wider political activity can find current campaigns and policy information on the Reform UK website. The petition should still stand on its own and comply with Parliament’s non-party-political rules.

A petition can also sit alongside other lawful political activity, including contacting MPs, attending public meetings and responding to consultations. This guide to influencing policy between elections sets out several ways to keep raising an issue after the initial launch.

Conclusion

Submitting a UK Parliament petition starts with one clear request that falls within the responsibility of the Government or Parliament. Check for duplicates, gather five eligible supporters, complete the email confirmations and wait for the Petitions Committee to review the draft.

After publication, honest promotion matters more than loud promotion. Reaching 10,000 signatures brings a government response, while 100,000 allows the petition to be considered for debate. A well-written petition gives people a practical way to press for action, but its influence depends on the clarity of the request and the quality of the campaign behind it.