UK government actually willing to listen to the population

[Slowpoke]

Take a look at these petitions created by the government, located on the government website. If a petition is signed 100'000 times - which, spread by word of mouth, could surely happen - said issue will be debated in the house of commons! Subjects include:

• Legalise all recreational drugs
• Legalise cannabis
• Reintroduce capital punishment
• Reintroduce the death penalty

and loads loads loaaaads more!

Thoughts?

EDIT: Note that there is quite a bit of talk about this online at the moment and as such, the pages may not load straight away due to high volume of internet users attempting to view the pages

[Caution]

They'll get out of debating them. There was a system like this in place on the Downing St website a few months ago. It amazes me that the Government want this, despite the fact it's clear what the people want but the people never get what they want.

[Marbian]

Reintroduce the death penalty is a definitely for me.

[GommeInc]

What if we want none of the above? Can't they discuss more meaningful things like the state of the country, the European Union and faith the population have in the UK Government?

[-:Undertaker:-]

The government won't vote on these matters with what the population want (to leave the European Union, to tighten immigration, reintroduce the death penalty and end foreign aid) because the three main parties think that they know better than you and I - and they will continue this way until we stop voting for them with the excuse of 'it will keep the other one out'. The Swiss system of direct democracy, of which UKIP want to introduce, allows for binding referendums of which the people can overrule parliament and the government which is one reason why Switzerland is not a member of the European Union despite its politicians wanting to be a part of it. Under the Swiss system, the people propose the referendum and the government cannot block or overrule the results which I think is fantastic.

This petition idea is rather pointless compared to what we really need, the Swiss system of direct democracy. However, what I do like about it is that its forcing these issues to the top of debate, whereas our left wing consensus (the Lib/Lab/Con) has attempted to keep these issues as undebatable, branding people who want to discuss the issues I mentioned above as racists, xenophobes, little englanders and so forth.

[Red]

Hope not. I'm against every one of those so yeh.

[Shar]

Same, I'm against most of these, I'm unsure about the death penalty though.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Hope not. I'm against every one of those so yeh.

Same, I'm against most of these, I'm unsure about the death penalty though.

Although both of you would agree its wrong for the government to ignore what a large portion of the public want despite your own opinions, right?

[Shar]

Although both of you would agree its wrong for the government to ignore what a large portion of the public want despite your own opinions, right?

Right, it's nice that they're going to debate about it, but as you said above, I'd prefer a referendum really.

[Red]

Although both of you would agree its wrong for the government to ignore what a large portion of the public want despite your own opinions, right?

Well for every large portion of the public that want those changes there will also be a large proportion who are against.