MPs to consider petition challenging the power to cancel elections
MPs are set to debate a public petition calling for the removal of the Secretary of State’s power to cancel local elections.
The debate will take place on Monday, 2 March from 6pm and has been scheduled by the Petitions Committee following the petition surpassing 152,000 signatures.
The petition, titled “Remove power to cancel local government elections”, urges Parliament to change the law to prevent the Secretary of State from cancelling forthcoming local government, metropolitan borough, London borough or other elections, including those due in May 2026.
Under parliamentary procedure, the Chair of the Petitions Committee, Jamie Stone, has been asked to open the debate. MPs from all parties may participate, and a government minister will respond on behalf of the administration.
In its official response to the petition, issued on 5 January 2026, the Government stated that the Secretary of State’s powers are set out in legislation approved by Parliament and are exercised only with “strong justification”. It added that there are no current plans to amend those powers.
Petition debates provide MPs with an opportunity to raise concerns and question ministers on issues that have attracted significant public support. However, they do not conclude with a vote to implement the petition’s request. Instead, the purpose is to enable parliamentary discussion and secure a formal government response.
Only e-petitions launched through the official Parliament petitions website are eligible for consideration by the Petitions Committee. Once a petition reaches 100,000 signatures, it is considered for debate in the House of Commons.
A transcript of the debate will be published shortly after proceedings conclude, and it will also be available to watch via Parliament’s broadcast service.
The session is expected to focus on the scope of the Secretary of State’s statutory powers, the circumstances in which they may be exercised, and the constitutional balance between central government authority and local democratic processes.