The Maldon Constituency has the second highest number of signatures on the petition calling for a General Election.

The petition has garnered over three million signatures nationally, with frustrated voters calling for a repeat of the General Election.

It comes as part of frustrations that Labour "have gone back on" promises set out ahead of July 4. 

The Maldon constituency has the second highest number of signatories at 8042, beaten only by Brentwood and Ongar with fourteen more.

Essex dominates the top ten constituencies who signed the petition, with Clacton, Castle Point, Braintree, Rayleigh and Wickford all at the top. 

A debate on the petition took place in Parliament yesterday, Monday January 6, where Maldon's Conservative MP Sir John Whittingdale spoke. 

While he emphasised the strength of feeling in the town, he also noted that a General Election can not be called unless triggered by a request from the Prime Minister or a vote in Parliament. 

Sir John Whittingdale said: "The reason why this petition has attracted such support, and so quickly, is not just that people dislike what this Government are doing, but that they feel, as the petitioner sets out, that it is a direct breach of the promises made to the electorate at the time of the last general election. 

"Even within a few weeks of the election, I was receiving angry emails from pensioners who had been misled. 

"They had listened to claims by Labour spokesmen during the election that if they voted Conservative, a Conservative Government might abolish the winter fuel allowance. 

"The implication of that was that a Labour Government would be safe and would protect the winter fuel allowance. Yet a few weeks later, it was announced that it would go.

"That was followed a few weeks later by the farmers. The farmers in my constituency had been to the National Farmers' Union conference and had listened to the leader of the Labour party tell them, from the platform, that a Labour Government would have no intention of getting rid of agricultural property relief. Yet that was precisely what was announced in the Budget. 

"The consequence is that families who have farmed in my area for generations, going back to their great grandparents, now say that they will have to sell up because they will not be able to afford the inheritance tax bill.

"I have also had letters from small businesses that understood that working people would not see a tax rise, but they—the people who employ those working people—now find that their entire profit has been wiped out by the increase in national insurance contributions, with the result that they will now have to either scrap pay rises this year or, in some cases, lay off staff.

"In my constituency in Essex—which, as my right hon. Friend the Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois) pointed out, was well represented in the petition—we were already faced with a massive amount of development taking place with no corollary in terms of infrastructure. 

"The new housing targets that have been imposed in Maldon represent an increase of 100% on what was already required, while in Chelmsford they represent an increase of 60%—and yet there is no sign of the infrastructure investment. 

"Those targets are being imposed on our local communities despite the Labour party saying that it would take into account the feelings of local communities.

"I hope that Labour members will listen to the voices expressed in terms of the three million signatures on the petition."

While the petition remains open, no further discussions must be had following the debate and the government's response.

Following the debate, a spokesperson for the Labour Government said: "This Government was elected on a mandate of change at the July 2024 general election. 

"Our full focus is on fixing the foundations, rebuilding Britain, and restoring public confidence in government."