Hundreds of residents have signed an online petition calling for a general election.

An online petition on the Parliament website calling for a general election has reached more than 630,000 signatures.

As of 3pm on Monday, October 17, 824 of these signatures came from people living in the Mid Worcestershire constituency.

MP Nigel Huddleston is aware of the petition but suggested he is in no rush for an election and will leave the decision up to Prime Minister Liz Truss.

He said: “I am aware that an e-petition has been created calling for a general election.

“The United Kingdom is a Parliamentary democracy, not a Presidential one. Following the General Election of December 2019, Members of Parliament of the governing party (the Conservative Party) were elected, such that there is a majority in the House of Commons.

“This remains the case.

“A change in the leader of the governing party does not trigger a general election – this has been the case under governments of successive political colours.”

Mr Huddleston added: “The Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 provides that Parliament is automatically dissolved five years after it first meets (unless it is dissolved sooner), otherwise the timing is a matter of discretion for the incumbent Prime Minister (subject to re-established constitutional conventions).”

The petition lists the war in Ukraine, problems with the Northern Ireland protocol, looming recession and renewed calls for Scottish independence as among “the greatest set of challenges we have seen in our lifetime”.

"Let the people decide who leads us through this turmoil," it concludes.

The three largest opposition parties in Westminster – Labour, the Scottish National Party, and the Liberal Democrats – all called for a general election last week, in response to the economic problems brought on by the Government's September mini-budget.

Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said the Prime Minister had "trashed the British economy" and "humiliated the Conservative Government in the eyes of the world".

On Monday the new Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, reneged on most of the tax cuts laid out in the mini-budget in an attempt to win back critics of Ms Truss's administration.

However, as the petition had already passed the 100,000-signature threshold to be debated in Parliament, it was discussed later that afternoon.  

At the meeting, cabinet office minister Brendan Clarke-Smith said that the Government is offering “stability”, which he warned could be undermined by a general election that risked “letting the anti-growth coalition into power”.