The British public has had enough of Keir Starmer’s left-wing government, which has seen its popularity dive just months after taking power. A petition demanding a new general election has taken off, reaching over 2 million signatures in under a week.
The petition criticizes the Labour government’s failure to keep promises made during the election campaign, calling for a fresh vote.
Launched late last week on the UK Parliament’s website, the petition quickly hit 1 million signatures, setting a record for the fastest growth. Michael Westwood, the petition’s creator, shared his frustration, saying, “I think people have had enough… we were told one thing during the campaign, and now it looks nothing like what was promised.” He also pointed to the impact of events in the US, claiming that growing dissatisfaction is part of a broader wave of discontent.
When Labour won power in July, they promised not to raise taxes on working people and to protect vital social benefits. But their policies have quickly alienated many voters. The government has already rolled out a £25 billion hike in national insurance contributions, which critics warn will hurt wages and raise costs for consumers. They’ve also raised capital gains taxes, cut Winter Fuel Payments for the elderly, and introduced inheritance tax rules that could force family farms to sell land.
Labour’s Minister Jess Phillips shrugged off the petition’s momentum, insisting that difficult decisions had to be made. “I didn’t come into politics to please everybody all the time,” she told LBC. When asked about the petition’s surge, she offered no clear explanation, simply stating, “You’ll have to ask the petitioners.”
With no word from the Prime Minister’s office yet, this petition continues to grow, reflecting the public’s frustration with the current government’s broken promises.
