Petition · past parliament
Change the way in which tv soaps portray life with Down syndrome.
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
Myself along with many other siblings older and younger are completely and utterly ashamed, embarrassed and angry at the current emmerdale story line, in which Laurel and Jai choose to terminate the pregnancy of a baby with a prognosis of Down syndrome.
In a recent survey done on siblings, who were asked how they felt about their sibling with Down syndrome. 96% of siblings said they felt affection towards their sibling with ds, more importantly 94% were older siblings who expressed they had overwhelming feelings of pride. We want change. Positive change. we want Emmerdale to work with families, who know what it’s like. This is our reality. We want positive outcomes. We want good in the world, and we want to be heard.
Why it was rejected
It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.
The way television programmes handle particular storylines is a matter for the producers, not the Government or House of Commons.
If you are unhappy with this storyline you could complain about it to Ofcom: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/complaints/complain-about-tv-radio-a-website
If you are unhappy with this storyline you could complain about it to Ofcom: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/complaints/complain-about-tv-radio-a-website
Timeline
| 19 Nov 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 26 Nov 2020 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
26 Nov 2020
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.