Petition the Prime Minister

Petitions have long been sent to the Prime Minister by post or delivered to the Number 10 door in person. Some with millions of signatures. You can now both create and sign petitions on 10 Downing Street website, providing you with the opportunity to get your petition directly to the Prime Minister’s office.

The e-petitions system was launched on the Prime Minister’s website in November 2006.

Britain has a new Prime Minister since June 2007, Gordon Brown. Use the PM’s petition site to bring matters to his attention… and even to try to influence government policy. But remember that you will need to publicise the petition as widely as you can and ask everyone not just to sign it but to circulate it to their own address books, and in this way get as many people as possible to sign up. Aim to get tens of thousands of people to back your petition. If you only get a few people, then your efforts will backfire… as your cause will seem to have little public support.

A popular petition that is currently live with over 40,000 signatures: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to repeal the Hunting Act 2004.
The Hunting Act 2004: has done nothing for animal welfare; threatens livelihoods in the longer term; ignores the findings of Lord Burn's Enquiry; gives succour to animal rights extremists; is based on political expedience following the Prime Minister's unconsidered response on the television programme Question Time in 1999; is framed to persecute a large minority who support a traditional activity; does not command popular support in the country except amongst the uninformed and mal-advised.

Another popular petition with around 25,000 signatures: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to immediately and retrospectively give all Gurkha servicemen and their immediate families past and present British citizenship.
Gurkhas have served the British forces with loyality and dedication for many years, yet we as a country treat them poorly and with inequality. Members of the regiment who served in the Falklands are not entitled to a pension, after service they are treated like illegal aliens. This it totally wrong and unacceptable. I ask that they willingly risk their life for our well being and should be given citizenship as a matter of principle as no country could ask more from an individual and these people are proven good members of our society and we will deeply benefit us as a nation if we give these men and women automatic British citizenship.

And also with around 25,000 signatures: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Stop the Chancellor from using lottery money to fund the Olympics in 2012.
Stop the chancellor using lottery money to plug the funding gap in the 2012 Olympics. If this goes ahead at least £900m will go from Big Lottery, Sport England, Arts Council and Heritage Lottery much of this money would fund projects within the local voluntary and community sector. Services to disadvantaged people will be directly affected by the loss of this funding, people who will have no opportunity to benefit from the Olympics directly but rely on local services provided by the voluntary sector.

And these were the five most recent petitions as of 23rd July 2007:
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to…
1. Act to stop "fair share fee schemes" being used as a back door to creating closed shops in Britain’s workplaces.
2. Allow children the right's to use the toilets during lessons, which are in a clean safe environment. As well as the right to being allowed to drink plenty of fluids to maintain a healthy bladder and bowel.
3. Raise the school leaving age to 18.
4. Set up a democratic organisation to represent the UK’s 40 million road users, and democratise camera partnerships.
5. Ensure Medical professionals gain more understanding and show more respect to sufferers of the rare condition Transverse Myelitis.

Act now. Draw up your own petition to the UK Prime Minister at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk. Sign some of the live petitions on the website. Or if you want to petition the world, go to the Care2 PetitionSite www.thepetitionsite.com at or Petition on-line at www.petitiononline.com

Browse the 10 Downing Street website and engage in webchats with UK Government Ministers: www.number-10.gov.uk

"Ask the White House" is an online interactive forum, which allows you to interact with Bush administration officials and friends of the White House. Launched in April 2003, citizens have participated in over 200 online discussions with Cabinet Secretaries, Senior White House Officials, behind-the-scenes professionals at the White House, and others. Transcripts of every live chat session are on the website. www.whitehouse.gov/ask