Call for a Snap General Election

This government is the most ideologically-driven and morally bankrupt in living memory. From scathing cuts to the most vulnerable of us, to the disregard for those fleeing war; from the sweeping destruction of local services, to soundbite kneejerk policies to satisfy the basest fears of society.

This government has dropped the ball. It's not fit for purpose. The manifesto pledges are unrecognisable compared with the current actions. We have a weak PM, a Chancellor without a clue, a government with more differences than similarities, a country being handed to the richest 1% while the rest of us pay and pay and pay. The British people deserve the right to vote now to let Westminster know how we feel. Call for a Snap General Election now!

The partisan description of the government in this petition is wrong and the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act, which came into force in 2011 under the Coalition Government, removed the power to set the general election date, and therefore to call a snap general election, from the Government and gave a power to the House of Commons to call an early general election in certain circumstances.

An early general election can only be called under the Act if either a motion (as worded in section 2(2) of the Act) that there shall be an early parliamentary general election is passed by the House of Commons with at least two thirds in favour of the motion; or if a motion of no confidence (as worded in section 2(4) of the Act) is passed by the House of Commons and the House does not pass a motion of confidence (as worded in section 2(5) of the Act) in the Government or an alternative Government within 14 days. Aside from these triggers there is no way to replace the Government through an early General Election.

Finally, we disagree with the description of the current Government in this petition.

Cabinet Office