Ban anyone convicted of terrorism offences from standing for public office
Introduce a new legal disqualification so people convicted of terrorism offences (in the UK or abroad) cannot stand as candidates or hold elected office, including local councils.
Signatures
199,363
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 10,000/10,000 · reached
Debate threshold (100,000) · 100,000/100,000 · reached
- 01 APR 2026Government respondedMinistry of Housing, Communities & Local GovernmentGovernment reply
Anyone sentenced to 3 months or more in prison is disqualified for 5 years from local government. We keep the broader counter terrorism framework under constant review to ensure it is fit for purpose.
Read full response - 08 MAR 2026100,000 signatures reachedEligible to be considered for debate
- 06 MAR 202610,000 signatures reachedEligible for a government response
- 06 MAR 2026Petition opened for signaturesCreated by Richard James Donaldson
Background
This is needed because current local election disqualification rules focus mainly on recent imprisonment thresholds (for example, being sentenced to 3 months or more within the last 5 years) and therefore may not prevent individuals with serious historic convictions from standing today. The Electoral Commission notes that the returning officer cannot confirm whether a candidate is disqualified and candidates self-declare their eligibility when submitting nomination papers.