Change.org Petitions vs UK Parliamentary E-Petitions: Which is right for my campaign?

Petitions are an important way for citizens to express their opinions, collective concerns and demands to the government. In fact, petitions played a crucial role in the political and social life of several early civilisations, with early records dating back to ancient Egypt, Rome, and China.

In the UK, petitions have existed from as early as 1669, when the rights of petitioners, and the power of Parliament to respond to them, was outlined in two resolutions in the House of Commons.

Throughout the UK’s history, petitions have been an important tool for widening and enhancing democracy. The Chartists, who campaigned for greater democratic freedoms for working class people, and The Suffragettes, who won the vote for all women, both made extensive use of bringing mass petitions to Parliament to advocate for their causes.

In the 21st century, petitions are still relevant, and more accessible than they have ever been. The primary ways to create petitions on the issues you care about are either on Change.org (the UK’s largest petitions platform, which in 2024 saw 6.5 million people signing petitions 25 million times), and the UK Parliament’s e-petitions portal.

Either can be effective in driving real, meaningful change, but it’s important to consider the strengths and limitations when thinking about what is the best fit for the issue that you care about.

Parliament: The E-Petitions Process

Anyone with a legal right to reside in the UK can start an e-petition on the Parliament petitions portal, but petitions will not be publicly visible until they receive at least six signatures. 

Once you have launched a petition on the Parliament website, you can share the petition in your networks and on social media, but the progress of the petition is primarily dictated by the Petitions Committee, a group of MPs from different parties who are elected to the Committee by other MPs. The actions they can take include:

• Writing to the petitioners, the Government or Government bodies, or other relevant organisations, to ask for more information
• Requesting a meeting with petitioners, or other relevant bodies, to get more information in person
• Writing to the Government, or another public body, to recommend they take action on the petition
• Asking another Parliamentary Committee to investigate the issue
• Putting forward the petition for a debate

The Committee may take all of these actions on your petitions, or none. It states that it is “not able to take action on every petition: it will need to use its judgement about which petitions to consider, and what action is appropriate for each one”.

A common belief is that a Parliament e-petition which receives over 100,000 signatures will always be debated. Whilst this usually happens, it’s not guaranteed. The Petitions Committee says that they “will take the threshold of 100,000 signatures as a starting point when it considers which petitions should be debated. But sometimes the Committee might not put forward a petition for debate if it’s got over 100,000 signatures”.

After a period of six months from the petition being launched, it is automatically closed and no more people can sign it.

Change.org: The Petitions Process

Change.org is a global platform for everyday democracy, helping people everywhere start campaigns, mobilise supporters, and work with decision-makers to drive solutions. Petitioners use the platform to elevate a wide range of causes, resulting in globally trending campaigns.

Anyone can start a petition after creating an account on the website. The petition form prompts you to fill out all of the important details, including:

• Decision-maker: Identify the person, organisation or entity you want to address with your petition. This could be a local or national government official, a corporation, a charity, or any other decision-maker.
• Title: Write a clear and concise title that captures the essence of your petition.
• Petition text: In this section, explain the issue you’re concerned about, why it matters, and what you’re asking the target to do. It’s important to be persuasive and fact-based, outlining the problem and the specific action you want to be taken.
• Photos or videos: You can add visuals to help tell your story and make your petition more engaging.
• Goal for the petition: Determine the number of signatures you aim to collect. Change.org will suggest a number based on the scope of your petition, but you can set your own goal.

Once your petition is live, you can share it through social media, email, and other channels to gather support. Change.org also offers tools to help you promote your petition, such as sending updates to signers and connecting with other users who might be interested in your cause.

Once you’ve hit your goal or gathered a substantial number of signatures, you can deliver the petition to the target, either digitally through Change.org’s platform or in person. You may also request a meeting or further action from the target to address the issue. Throughout the process, Change.org provides support and resources to help you create an effective petition and campaign.

You can close your petition whenever you like but, unless it breaks our community guidelines or terms of service, we will never take a petition down on your behalf. Some Change.org petitions stay live for a very long time, and some starters have declared victory on their petitions years after they were started.

Comparing Platforms

Parliamentary e-petitions provide starters with a direct line to parliament, but often face regulations including a limited promotion period and a more time-consuming signing process. Also, MPs are not permitted to sign Parliamentary e-petitions, but can – and do – sign and start Change.org petitions.

Change.org petitions can be presented in the House of Commons, but must first be supported by a specific MP who is willing to present it. While this sometimes means they do not require a formal response in the same manner as Parliamentary e-petitions, Change.org petitions often are more visible due to their social shareability, customisation options and Change’s large audience, meaning that they can often gather a larger number of signatures and make a stronger impact on parliament due to overwhelming public support.

Parliamentary e-Petitions

Pros:

• A direct line to Government: Provides a formal and direct line to directly address Government and the House of Commons
• A guaranteed response: If your petition gets more than 10,000 signatures, the relevant Government Department or public body will issue a formal response to the petition
• Guaranteed consideration: The Petitions Committee considers every petition and decides what action to take, though there is no guarantee that they will take specific actions for your petitions

Cons:

• Limited time: E-petitions are only kept open for six months and in some rare circumstances, like if an election is called, your petition may be closed after less than six months.
• Time-consuming process: People who want to sign the petition have to prove their citizenship or residency; which may dissuade them from taking action
• Limited scope: The Petition Committee only accepts petitions on subjects which the Government is directly responsible for. This means if your petition is about a local issue, or any type of private organisation (including, for example, water and energy companies), it will not be accepted
• Limited customisability: Parliamentary e-petitions do not allow for the option to include URLs and other references, or images
• Can’t connect with your supporters: The Petitions Committee may email people who’ve signed your petition to provide any updates, but you won’t be able to do this yourself

Change.org Petitions

Pros:

• Wide reach and visibility: Highly shareable on social media, which can lead to greater public awareness and support.
• Customisation: Offers more flexibility in format, including no word limits and the ability to add visuals and links.
• MP participation: MPs can both sign and start petitions, increasing their potential impact.
• Proven success: Examples of successful Change.org petitions that created powerful change in the UK in 2024 are available in our impact report.
• Connecting with your supporters: The Petition Update feature allows you to stay in touch with your supporters by communicating the petition’s progress or urging them to take action – in your own time and your own words.

Cons:

• Parliamentary response not guaranteed: Change.org petitions may not require the same level of parliamentary response as formal e-petitions.
• Requires MP support: To be tabled in Parliament, a Change.org petition must be supported and presented by an MP.

Which platform is right for my campaign?

The impact of a petition depends on various factors, including the number of signatures, the relevance of the issue, and the government’s response.

UK Parliamentary e-petitions have a direct link to Parliament, but there are limitations on the scope and timescale of the campaign.

Change.org petitions, on the other hand, may have a wider reach and more visibility, but require an MP to support the petition or table it in Parliament.

Both options regularly result in legal change.