The Tokenism of UK Government E-Petitions: What Went Wrong? 

Broken, Kitsch, Nonsense

So, what went wrong exactly? Simply put, e-petitions are systematically broken. It is a poorly designed mechanism, catering to virtue signallers, carrying no real weight in monumental decisions. A kitsch show of numbers with no real substance to it, the viral General Election petition at approximately 3 million signatories is an example of this. Looking at it at surface value, it demonstrates a need for a change of government. Looking at its roots? It is nonsense only amounting to disingenuous tabloidisation, with clear flaws being found within the petition, the system, and the culture itself.

‘Call for a General Election’ E-Petition: Unveiling the Imperfections

E-Petitions have become a signet of mockery, devolving into a rabid vitriol for our democracy. The recent petition launched by Michael Westwood on the 20th of November 2024 represents that thought.

This e-petition has the decorum of audaciousness and impatience for the UK Parliament; it fails to highlight the newly-formed government has just begun its term– 4 months in – and has genuinely not given them a chance for aspects such as the budget to come into fruition! Noting this, it demonstrates two things: a failure to educate Britons regarding the systemic workings of the political sphere and an active culture in disseminating disinformation for sensationalist purposes in a clickbait format.

It also creates the illusion of participation when, in actuality, it is ineffective and is dismissed after the government fulfils the perfunctory role mandated by the e-petition. The current example of this General Election e-petition will not deliver on what is asked and will have a simple debate. Though it makes sense, it remains example of e-petitions lacking the power to scrutinise effectively.

So, Do E-Petitions Serve Their Purpose? 

Although the sentiment can be argued that it serves its core purpose in encouraging discourse as a platform for the legislature and British society, it is more so understood that it does not develop beyond that, making the topic at hand stagnant and dissolving all progress made within it.

To expand even further on a concerning factor, if you input a British postcode and possess a verified email, you could have an e-petition signatory counted instantly, just like that. It is a broken system that can be abused to serve against British interests if the number output is there, i.e.: 100,000 signatories for a parliamentary discussion.

Testimonies from people on social media such as: TikTok, X, and Telegram, have admitted that regardless of not being a constituent living in the UK, they signed up for the petition due to political alignment. This highlights a larger issue in identifying whether e-petitions, a platform set up by the UK Government, truly hold a mandate from the people or if it serves the personal interests of foreign agents or citizenry.

In essence, it has deformed into a tool of contrarianism and anti-democratic values, no longer serving their intended purpose as a source of direct democracy.

The UK is Not Ready for E-Petitions, Not Yet… 

Whilst e-petitions are inherently flawed, it is also a miscarriage of education on British society that they do not create any real impact. Our elementary knowledge on media literacy and politics, paired with our conservative outlook, was never synonymous in the first place due to strong scepticism of political breakthroughs, lack of understanding of our electoral due processes, and blatant naivety into believing false promises said by politicians. British society’s overreliance on representative democracy has eroded our understanding with direct democracy, promptly put… We genuinely do not know what to do. 

…So How Can We Resolve That?

Resolution can therefore only be met by understanding the fundamentals of direct democracy to a high degree: learning how to collectively organise and show active resistance to policy via political demonstrations. This is an essential in making e-petitions matter in the first place, without one part or the other, it is an incomplete jigsaw that will not result in purposeful change. By mastering the art of collective action, e-petitions will carry weight in UK Parliament by understanding the British public will not back down from demands and will be taken seriously on a legislative scale. 

Words by Shakeal Zaman

Cover Image Credit: UK Parliament https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/196636/what-happens-to-parliamentary-petitions/