Petitions/Disqualify resigned MPs from standing until 4 years after next General Election
StatusOngoing
Opened7 Aug 2026
Closes
Government response
Parliamentary debateNot eligible
Milestones

If a sitting MP chooses to resign their seat for whatever reason, then that MP should be blocked for standing as an MP at the next General Election and for four more years or until the subsequent General Election, whichever is lesser.

We have seen recently that there seems to be this loophole in which elected Members of Parliament can resign their seats and then stand in the same by-election they have triggered at a massive burden to the taxpayer. If any MP resigns their seat, they should be blocked from standing at the next General Election and only be allowed to stand four years after or at the subsequent General Election, whichever is the least amount of time.

10,000
100,000

Constituency engagement ranking

Ms Marie Rimmer
1Ms Marie Rimmer MP
St Helens South and Whiston
4
David Baines
2David Baines MP
St Helens North
3
Justin Madders
3Justin Madders MP
Ellesmere Port and Bromborough
2
Naz Shah
4Naz Shah MP
Bradford West
1
Chris Ward
5Chris Ward MP
Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven
1
Darren Jones
6Darren Jones MP
Bristol North West
1
Bobby Dean
7Bobby Dean MP
Carshalton and Wallington
1
Sir Christopher Chope
8Sir Christopher Chope MP
Christchurch
1
Pam Cox
9Pam Cox MP
Colchester
1
Paul Davies
10Paul Davies MP
Colne Valley
1