Petition · past parliament
Create an offence of making knowingly or recklessly false claims in elections
Closed
37 signatures
What the petition asks
The EU Referendum on the continuing membership of the EU has highlighted the use of clear untruths and other misleading comments. Voters have suggested they would have voted differently if they had known the truth. There should be criminal liability for such activity to prevent it reoccurring.
The Leave campaign claimed that £350M per week would be released to be spent on the NHS. This claim was stated to be false by "Leave" within days of the vote.
Individuals who make false statements to the state (for example in relation to benefits) risk being prosecuted, whilst politicians are not censured for false statements to the people. We believe that a separate offence of knowingly or recklessly making false statements or misleading the public in relation to elections is required.
Individuals who make false statements to the state (for example in relation to benefits) risk being prosecuted, whilst politicians are not censured for false statements to the people. We believe that a separate offence of knowingly or recklessly making false statements or misleading the public in relation to elections is required.
Timeline
| 13 Jul 2016 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 13 Jan 2017 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
37
Status
Closed
Opened
13 Jul 2016
Closed
13 Jan 2017
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.