Petition · past parliament
Introduce a 12-month residency requirement for candidates to Parliament
Closed
40 signatures
What the petition asks
In order for Parliament to become truly representative, this petition proposes introducing legislation to require persons standing for Parliament to be resident in their constituency for at least 12 months prior to election day.
The UK is meant to be a representative democracy. However, parties will often choose a favoured member to run for a seat to maximise their chances of winning, even though they have no genuine connection to the local community. As a result, Parliament is not a collection of community representatives, but a collection of preferred party members.
Timeline
| 9 Oct 2018 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 9 Apr 2019 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
40
Status
Closed
Opened
9 Oct 2018
Closed
9 Apr 2019
Follow this petition
Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.
Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.