Petition · past parliament · Office of the Leader of the House of Commons
Revoke rules against accusing MPs of deliberate falsehoods in House of Commons
Closed
261 signatures
What the petition asks
The rules that prohibit MPs from accusing other MPs of committing ‘deliberate falsehoods’ in the House of Commons are an anachronism.
They made sense in the days when it was unthinkable that Members would deliberately mislead the House, and historically served to guard against inappropriate hyperbole.
These rules serve no purpose in today's House, and are not appropriate today, in a time when certain Members are felt by many to have misled the House time and time again.
It makes a mockery of British democracy, for one MP who uses the term "liar" to be sanctioned, while no action is taken against another to whom many feel the term accurately applies.
These rules serve no purpose in today's House, and are not appropriate today, in a time when certain Members are felt by many to have misled the House time and time again.
It makes a mockery of British democracy, for one MP who uses the term "liar" to be sanctioned, while no action is taken against another to whom many feel the term accurately applies.
Timeline
| 28 Jul 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 28 Jan 2022 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
261
Status
Closed
Department
Office of the Leader of the House of Commons
Opened
28 Jul 2021
Closed
28 Jan 2022
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.