Petition · past parliament
A Prime Minister resigning should immediately trigger a general election
Rejected
11 signatures
What the petition asks
When a Prime Minister resigns the whole country should have the opportunity to decide on the new one, it should not just depend on the electoral processes of the political party he is a member of. That is not a mandate for the people. Parliament should be dissolved and a general election held.
This has happened several times in the last 40 years.
In 1976 James Callaghan took over from Harold Wilson - the next election was 1979.
In 1990 John Major took over from Margaret Thatcher - the next election was 1992.
IN 2007 Gordon Brown took over from Tony Blair- the next election was 2010.
All these Prime Minsters governed without a mandate from the people
In 1976 James Callaghan took over from Harold Wilson - the next election was 1979.
In 1990 John Major took over from Margaret Thatcher - the next election was 1992.
IN 2007 Gordon Brown took over from Tony Blair- the next election was 2010.
All these Prime Minsters governed without a mandate from the people
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
Timeline
| 26 Jun 2016 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 1 Jul 2016 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
11
Status
Rejected
Rejected
1 Jul 2016
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.