On Monday there was a ‘petition debate’ in Westminster Hall. The subject was a call by 3m petitioners for a new general election.
Over 5,200 East Hampshire residents had signed the petition. I took part in the debate to give voice to key issues on which I hear from local people, that they feel let down by the government.
Labour was elected to government only very recently, and with a very sizeable majority. They have a strong mandate to implement their manifesto. That manifesto contains many things - some of which you may approve of, some you may not.
But I went through five areas not in the manifesto, which I know from my postbag are particularly significant to people locally.
First, the family farm tax, which undermines agriculture, and therefore the rural economy and society.
Next, changes to business rates, painted as a cut but actually an increase for retail and hospitality, most unwelcome for small businesses in our market towns and villages.
Third, the unrealistic housing targets being visited upon the countryside, even while cities like London have their housing targets cut.
Fourth, the hike in employer national insurance contributions which will harm jobs locally.
Finally, the scrapping of the winter fuel payment, right down to those on very low incomes, which affects thousands in East Hampshire.
These petition debates are relatively novel in Parliament. There is a risk that expectations are raised. In truth, no amount of signatories to a petition can force a general election. Ours is a representative democracy not a direct democracy. And it’s designed to deliver stable governments, typically to last four or five years.
The most a petition can do is prompt a debate. But that is important and it is a good thing we have these debates.
At a time when so much discourse is online, it can be either narrow or shrill. Debates in Parliament can be boisterous but make sure different sides of an argument get heard. Time is spent thinking seriously about an issue.
They also force those in power to have to answer for themselves, to be held to account. Labour have a big mandate, but I do hope the scale of this petition, and the arguments set out in the debate, give the government cause to reflect and reconsider.
