07.04.26
We ask you to sign them. Everyone else asks you to sign them. People in the street ask you to sign them.
Why? What do they achieve?
There are different types of ‘petitions,’ and the purpose and target of each is really important. There are pros and cons to each type, and reasons why some organisations and individuals choose differently.
1. Petitions that are hosted on the petition.government website, are those that receive a response from the government after 10k signatures and are put forward for a parliamentary debate after 100k.
Example: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/736578
PRO – Anyone can submit a petition for approval.
PRO – Their success can lead to direct debate in Parliament.
CON – They offer no ability to update people on the stage it’s at, to provide any further actions that could be taken, or to provide key information on the subject.
CON – The wording of these petitions is scrutinised by the Petitions Committee staff and approved before publication.
2. Petitions that are hosted by an organisation on their own website or via a third-party hosting platform.
Example: https://action.naturewatch.org/makeover-the-ban
PRO – They enable a more flexible approach to communication and updates for petition signers, such as when a debate is scheduled or a law change results from the petition.
PRO – The target of that petition is chosen specifically and can be much wider reaching than parliamentary petitions, for example, a particular Minister or department responsible for the issue.
CON – They don’t lead automatically to a parliamentary discussion.
CON – Time and resource-intensive to create, promote and manage.
Law changes, and meaningful progress in animal welfare often begin with petitions, supporter actions, and engagement from kind people like those who support our work and sign petitions. They often provide a platform to launch from for topics that might otherwise go unheard.
You can help change the lives of millions of animals in the UK and further afield by getting involved, adding your name, thoughts, and feelings to petitions, and amplifying the noise we create.
Click here to see our latest supporter actions and how you can support our work.
