Petition · past parliament
Julian Smith & Brandon Lewis to be sacked for discrimination re: maternity leave
Rejected
19 signatures
What the petition asks
Julian Smith (Tory Chief Whip) and Brandon Lewis (Tory Chairman) are alleged to have deliberately conspired to suppress votes of a colleague whilst on maternity leave. This is a significant breach of trust, goes against accepted practice and constitutes discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.
It is understood that Brandon Lewis was knowingly paired with Jo Swinson on 17th July 2018 and honoured that arrangement for several votes during the day.
When it became clear the government would need additional votes during the evening Brandon Lewis and Julian Smith colluded to the benefit of their party and Lewis used his vote twice, against the agreement.
The pair then apologised on Twitter stating the arrangement had been 'forgotten' which is clearly not true. Wholly unacceptable.
When it became clear the government would need additional votes during the evening Brandon Lewis and Julian Smith colluded to the benefit of their party and Lewis used his vote twice, against the agreement.
The pair then apologised on Twitter stating the arrangement had been 'forgotten' which is clearly not true. Wholly unacceptable.
Why it was rejected
It was about honours or appointments, which petitions cannot cover.
We can't accept petitions about appointments, which includes calling for Ministers or other officeholders to be sacked.
Timeline
| 19 Jul 2018 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 24 Jul 2018 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
19
Status
Rejected
Rejected
24 Jul 2018
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.