PETITIONRejectedPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Call for a General Election if a Prime Minister resigns
Update the Fixed-term Parliaments Act (or relevant constitutional legislation) to mandate that a General Election must be held within 60 days of a Prime Minister resigning their office.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
7
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 7/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 7/100,000
Background
Under the current system, when a Prime Minister resigns, the governing party can choose a new leader who becomes Prime Minister without a national vote. This allows for significant changes in policy, direction, and cabinet composition without a direct mandate from the British electorate
We believe that the British public should have a say in who leads the country and call on the Government to ensure that the power to choose a leader is returned to the voters whenever the incumbent leaves office