Petition · past parliament

Politicians must sign The Leadership Oath to never do harm or lie

Rejected 19 signatures

What the petition asks

Politicians that misrepresent truth for self-serving ambition must be held accountable. The Leadership Oath will be for politicians, business leaders and any other leaders in civil society to demonstrate their first rule principle - to lead from a position of responsibility to all stakeholders.
The Leadership Oath should be the political and business equivalent of The Hippocratic Oath.

The Hippocratic Oath dates back 2500 years and is considered a rite of passage for medical professionals before they practice. The Oath can be summarised as to 'First do no harm'.

Why it was rejected

It was not clear what the petition asked the UK Government or Parliament to do.

It's not clear exactly what oath you would like politicians to sign, nor which politicians you would like to be subject to this requirement (for example, whether it is just for MPs or also for local councillors, members of devolved assemblies, people standing for elected office, and so on.)

Timeline

28 Jun 2016 Petition opened for signatures
13 Jul 2016 Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 19
Status Rejected
Rejected 13 Jul 2016

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.