Petition · past parliament · Cabinet Office

Impose new requirements on replacing the Prime Minister and subsequent election

Closed 78 signatures

What the petition asks

We want the Government to put in place a law that if a Prime Minister indicates an intention to resign, a new Prime Minister must be appointed within 35 days, and a General Election be held within 90 days of the new PM taking office.
The time it took to replace the last Prime Minister left the country in a leadership vacuum at a critical period of national energy emergency and global economic and security challenges. The Government had a 66-seat majority, yet internal wrangling reduced it to a caretaker administration.
The announcement of a new PM could increase yet another destabilising outcry from opposition parties questioning the PM's legitimacy and mandate.
This law aims to discourage a ruling party from unnecessary changes in leadership at greater cost to the country, and to ensure a future new leader of the ruling party must go to the electorate for a democratic mandate.

Timeline

8 Sep 2022 Petition opened for signatures
22 Mar 2023 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 78
Status Closed
Department Cabinet Office
Opened 8 Sep 2022
Closed 22 Mar 2023

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