‘I’m not surprised they want a rerun,’ says Sir Keir as 2m people sign petition calling for a fresh General Election
25 November 2024, 12:42 | Updated: 25 November 2024, 13:13
Sir Keir Starmer has brushed off demands for a new general election despite two million people signing a petition.
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Sir Keir appeared on ITV’s This Morning today to tell voters: “This isn’t how our system works.”
The petition on the Government’s official portal is simply titled: “Call a General Election”
It states: “I would like there to be another General Election.
“I believe the current Labour Government have gone back on the promises they laid out in the lead up to the last election.”
But Sir Keir has ruled out calling another general election, adding that he was "not surprised" some people who did not support Labour might want a second poll.
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The Prime Minister was asked by ITV's This Morning about the petition calling for another election on the Parliament website, now signed by two million people.
Sir Keir told the programme: "Look, I remind myself that very many people didn't vote Labour at the last election.
"I'm not surprised that many of them want a rerun. That isn't how our system works.
"There will be plenty of people who didn't want us in in the first place.
"So, what my focus is on is the decisions that I have to make every day."
A Labour source said: “This government was elected just a few months ago with an overwhelming mandate to deliver change. The sooner those who lost accept that, the better.”
The petition, posted by pub owner Michael Westwood, complains that Sir Keir has “gone back on promises.”
He told the Express: “The British public feel like they have been betrayed with the promises that were told in the lead to the election and then what has been delivered since - it looks nothing like what was promised.
“I think people have had enough, people have seen what's happened over in America as well, and I think that's had a knock on effect that, actually, if people stand together and vote then we can make a change.”
Signatories have to say they are UK citizens or residents and provide an email and postcode, there is not thought to be any other verification in place.
Billionaire Tesla owner Elon Musk has backed the petition.
Musk posted, "The people of Britian have had enough of a tyrannical police state."
Petitions do not have the legal power to force an election, which can only be called by the PM requesting the monarch to dissolve parliament, via loss of confidence in the Government, or a scheduled election which takes place every five years.
