Petition
Write a law so a referendum must be held before the Equality Act can be scrapped
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
We wish for a law to be created so that before any moves can be made to scrap the Equality Act, this must go to the public in the form of a referendum beforehand.
The Equality Act forms the centrepiece of the Equalities landscape and framework in this country. This keeps us on a level playing field Equalities wise with other 21st century western democracies. A referendum will act as a fail safe in that this action could not happen without the approval (by a vote) from the general public.
Why it was rejected
It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.
We can only accept petitions that ask for actions within the powers of the UK Government or Parliament.
Parliament cannot pass a law that restricts how a future Parliament might legislate. A future Parliament could therefore repeal or bypass any law that purported to require a referendum before the Equalities Act was repealed.
Parliament cannot pass a law that restricts how a future Parliament might legislate. A future Parliament could therefore repeal or bypass any law that purported to require a referendum before the Equalities Act was repealed.
Timeline
| 7 Mar 2026 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 7 Apr 2026 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
7 Apr 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 27 Jul 2026.