Gullible Idiots: Why Signing an E-Petition Plays Right into the Government’s Hands

In an era of digital activism, the UK Parliament’s e-petition system promises citizens a direct line to influence policy. Yet, a closer examination reveals that it is a scam. A government run mechanism that gives the illusion of people-power, whilst really bolstering the government's position.

A new e-petition does the rounds on social media almost on a weekly basis these days. Spurred on by the latest government outrage or other, the same old gullible idiots spring into action, sharing it, demanding others sign it, and, of course, giving endless updates on how many other gullible idiots have signed it.

All this begs the question: how can these people fall for the same old trick, time and time again?

A two minute net search would show them that e-petitions really are an exercise in futility. There have now been over 100,000 e-petitions raised since their launch some ten years ago yet not a single one has changed a single thing. They have a 100% Failure rate. The stats don't lie, but they do tell a grim tale.

The modern e-petition system was established in 2015 by David Cameron. Since inception, over 100,000 petitions have been submitted, with tens of millions of signatures collected.   By 2020 alone, over 33000 had been lodged, of which 8,154 were published.  As of 2025, 162 petitions have resulted in a debate in parliament.  Yet, not a single law, rule, or diktat has been implemented, changed or revoked because of them   Not one.  All that internet rage, all those voices, brutally, yet inevitably, coming to nothing.

Sure, a 2015 sugar tax nudge and a 2016 high-heels ban at work got nodded through but these weren’t because of an e-petition, they just happen to coincide with one.  Like a stopped clock is right twice a day, these two e-petitions just happened to be the same as two decisions being made at vaguely the same time.

They really are an exercise in futility.

Brexit still went ahead.

Take the 2019 “Revoke Article 50” petition – a whopping 5.8 million signatures demanded that Brexit was stopped, but the petition failed to change the mind of a single politician.

Lockdowns still happened.

Then came the COVID lockdowns and another e-Petition did the rounds. “End the Lockdown on May 4th” racked up hundreds of thousands of signatures, but again, the government ploughed on regardless.

Vaccine mandates still went ahead.

Likewise, the e-Petition to end vaccine mandates was another dismissed by the Government who had no intention of changing their plans whatsoever.

Online Safety Act wasn't halted.

A blistering petition to “Repeal the Online Safety Act” got 543,610 signatures just a few months ago. As with all the others, hasn't made even a dent in the rules. Nor will it.

And yet, despite all this, the gullible idiots that probably signed and shared those, and know nothing came of a single one, are the very same gullible idiots liking and sharing the current one. This weeks must-have signature is for the Digital ID petition. All the usual suspects, all the same social justice warriors with short-term memory-loss are on this bandwagon.

Not even stopping to think how clever it is putting your name on a government database telling them you don't want your name going on a government database.

You're playing into the government's hands.

E-petitions were engineered as a psychological trick to make it appear that the masses have a say, when they don’t.  Those who spread them around Twitter/X like they're some sort of moral incantation that must be repeated a certain amount of times to win our freedom are actually playing right into the Government's hands.

In truth, no government, least of all this one, gives a toss about your voice.  If you think that any petition is going to change their minds on anything then you’re deluded.  It’s a trick straight from the totalitarian playbook: let the masses vent, harvest their data, pay lip-service to whatever they’re moaning about this week before ploughing on with it regardless. 

Worse than that, they don't just get ignored, they get used in the inevitable gaslighting the government then do. e-Petitions successfully shuts down any argument and suppress descent, all whilst giving the illusion of a full democratic process. “it was debated in parliament” becomes further justification for whatever totalitarian scheme the government wants to impose on the public, the debate and the outcome becoming interchangeable in the government's answer.  

E-petitions are a trick, a scam, and every time you fall for it, the government gets just a little bit more power over you. Stop being a gullible idiot. Wise-up.

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