Petition · past parliament

Ban sex offenders standing, or continuing, as Members of Parliament!

Rejected 21 signatures

What the petition asks

There are no laws stopping sex offenders becoming MPs.
Bankrupt candidates CAN NOT stand, however, sex offender candidates CAN! Accountability of sexual violence is more urgent than financial barring. UK Rape is effectively de-criminalised with only 1.5% of reported rapes resulting in conviction.
Our public representatives must abide by the standards of laws they are seeking to make.

Regulations prohibiting sex offenders standing for council positions should be extended to MPs. This omission protects those convicted of sexual offences (98% male) from meaningful consequences to their actions, shifting the focus to protecting the (mainly female) victims.

Any serving MP convicted of sexual offences would be immediately ineligible to hold that position, triggering a By Election.

Why it was rejected

There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.

You may wish to sign this petition calling for the same action: Introduce Legislation to Prevent Convicted Sex Offenders Serving As MP

Timeline

3 May 2021 Petition opened for signatures
11 May 2021 Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 21
Status Rejected
Rejected 11 May 2021

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