Petition · past parliament · Ministry of Defence
Require public referendums to approve participation in any armed conflict
Closed
64 signatures
What the petition asks
There should be a formal requirement that the majority of UK voters should be in agreement before starting or joining any Armed Conflict. This agreement should be based on a public referendum, as their MPs are under no obligation to vote according to their constituents' wishes.
Wars kill, maim and destroy. People lose lives, people are injured and livelihoods shattered. We believe the only winners are arms companies.
Given the magnitude of commencing or becoming embroiled in armed conflicts, the UK Government should seek the explicit agreement of its voters. Currently, the convention is that the House of Commons should have the opportunity to debate the deployment of military forces, prior to doing so, except in the event of an emergency.
The Commons derives its power from the people. The people need to be heard.
Given the magnitude of commencing or becoming embroiled in armed conflicts, the UK Government should seek the explicit agreement of its voters. Currently, the convention is that the House of Commons should have the opportunity to debate the deployment of military forces, prior to doing so, except in the event of an emergency.
The Commons derives its power from the people. The people need to be heard.
Timeline
| 15 Feb 2022 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 15 Aug 2022 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
64
Status
Closed
Department
Ministry of Defence
Opened
15 Feb 2022
Closed
15 Aug 2022
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.