WIREDGOV

A new website that lets you petition the government online has gone live. Any petition that gets more than 100,000 signatures will be eligible for debate in Parliament. Find out more about e-petitions and how you can petition the government.

Petition the government online

Using the new e-petitions site, you can create a public petition on anything the government is responsible for.

Eligible petitions that get more than 100,000 signatures will be considered for debate in Parliament.

It is hoped the e-petitions site will make petitions a useful democratic tool, and encourage more people to get involved in politics.

Sir George Young MP, Leader of the House of Commons, said: "The public already have many opportunities to make their voices heard in Parliament, and this new system of e-petitions could give them a megaphone.

"Of course parliamentary time is not unlimited and we want the best e-petitions to be given airtime – so we will monitor the site closely over the coming months to assess whether the 100,000 figure is an appropriate target."

Create an e-petition

Creating an e-petition is easy.

First, check to see if a similar petition has already been submitted. If it hasn’t, you can then create your e-petition.

Ineligible e-petitions

Petitions will only be ruled out if they are:

To create a new e-petition, or to support an existing one, follow the link below.

• e-petitions: HM Government Opens new window

After you’ve submitted your e-petition

Once you have submitted your e-petition, it will be checked by the relevant government department.

The petition will be open for up to one year, which allows members of the public to sign and support your petition.

If it collects 100,000 signatures, it could be debated in the House of Commons.