The Independent’s petition calling for a general election in the UK after months of political upheaval has reached 300,000 signatures.
The milestone was approved just after 9.30am on Friday, 20 hours after Liz Truss quit as Prime Minister after just 45 days in office, and the number of signatures continues to climb apace.
It comes after weeks of chaos in Downing Street as Mrs Truss’s serial U-turn saw her unable to maintain control of her own party – a turmoil marked by reports of “manipulation” and “bullying” during last night’s fracking vote.
So we have been campaigning for a national vote since it became clear that Ms Truss could no longer hold the confidence of her party earlier this week.
Announcing her resignation outside the door of Number 10 on Thursday afternoon, Ms Truss confirmed there will be another leadership election to be completed next week.
“At The Independent we believe this is unacceptable,” writes our acting editor David Marley.
As Tory MPs prepare to elect our third Prime Minister of the year, we have renewed our call for a general election. To lend your voice to our appeal or find out more, click below:
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer echoed our campaign today, which called for an “immediate” national vote, saying the Conservative Party had shown it no longer had a mandate to govern the country.
And new YouGov polls also reveal that more than 63% of people now believe a general election should be called once a new Prime Minister has been elected.
Mrs Truss told the nation today that it was clear she could no longer fulfill the “mandate” given to her by her party just weeks earlier.
As it stands, bookies have tipped Rishi Sunak, Ms Truss’s leadership race opponent, Commons leader Penny Mordaunt and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace as possible prime minister replacements going out.
Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee, has explained that Friday 28 October is the date on which the next British Prime Minister will be announced.
“We are deeply aware of the imperative in the national interest to resolve this quickly,” he told reporters in Westminster.
“I have spoken to party chairman Jake Berry and he has confirmed that it will be possible to hold a vote and conclude a leadership election on Friday 28 October.
“So we should have a new leader in place before the fiscal state on the 31st.”