Petition · Cabinet Office
Ban MPs who have resigned from standing in resulting by-election for same party
Open for signatures
13 signatures
What the petition asks
If an MP resigns and triggers a by-election, they should not be eligible to compete in that by-election unless they are standing for a different party. By-elections cost the public purse and other parties money. An MP in a safe seat can resign just to make a political point and be re-elected.
This is about preventing the abuse of the parliamentary system. An MP who has been elected has a duty to their constituents. If they genuinely need to resign, or they feel that they must change party and therefore want to give voters a chance to choose again, then that is fair enough. But they should not resign if they are intending to stand again for the same party.
Timeline
| 4 Aug 2026 | Petition opened for signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
13
Status
Open for signatures
Department
Cabinet Office
Opened
4 Aug 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 4 Aug 2026.