Following a less-than-convincing week at the Tory Party Conference, Rishi Sunak has been proved wrong on his assertion that the general public ‘does not want an immediate General Election’ – following the success of hugely-popular online petition.
Petition to hold an immediate General Election gains nationwide attention
Created just a few days ago, the petition has got more than 225,000 signatures, more than doubling the amount of names required to force a debate on the matter in Parliament. That threshold has been smashed, and the campaign shows no signs of slowing down.
The petition is backed by Carol Vorderman, who has promoted the link on her social media pages. David Nash, the man behind this viral movement, slammed the government for ‘breaking the asylum system’ and ‘allowing institutions to fail’.
“The PM should call an immediate general election to allow the British public to have their say on how we are governed, we should not be made to wait until [next year]. Consistent opinion polling has shown the British public have lost confidence in the current government.”
“The NHS is in crisis, the asylum system is broken, there are delays at the ports, and institutions are failing. The British people should be given a say on what to do next.” | David Nash
When will the UK hold its next General Election?
A General Election is due to take place in 2024. However, the Tories have the right to push that vote back to the end of the year. That means another 14 months of chaotic governance could still lie ahead for the UK, before any meaningful change is instigated.
Sunak has promised to do things differently going forward. This, despite the Conservative Party ruling the roost for the last 13 years. Under endless clouds of scandal, the blue-half of the political divide faces an uphill battle to retain power.
Conference speeches sow further division
Their Manchester-based conference has not had the desired impact on the electorate either. Last week, the Tories were mocked when senior politicians were forced to give speeches to half-empty rooms.
Incendiary addresses from Suella Braverman and Sunak himself also made the headlines. The former chastised migrants, with the latter taking his frustrations out on the transgender community. However, with an election looming, it appears their worries should lie elsewhere.