Call a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy
The Parliament petitions site records 115,853 signatures for this petition, which closed on 10 May 2026. The Government responded on 15 January 2026. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 9 February 2026.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Call a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy
We are concerned about reported efforts from Russia to influence democracy in the US, UK, Europe and elsewhere. We believe we must establish the depth and breadth of possible Russian influence campaigns in the UK.
We believe recent events underscore the urgency of this issue.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 15 January 2026; the petitions site lists the Cabinet Office as responsible. Its summary:
Russian interference threats to the UK will be examined as part of the Independent Review of Foreign Financial Interference. Review findings will be presented to the House for scrutiny in late March.
The response in full:
The Government shares the public's concern regarding the threat from Russian interference to UK democracy. The Government will not tolerate attempts to interfere in our politics from any foreign actor and we will take all measures necessary to defend our democracy.
The UK Government has already announced an independent review, in light of the deeply concerning evidence of Russia’s attempt to influence democracy in the UK. In December 2025, the Government commissioned Philip Rycroft to lead the independent review of foreign financial interference in UK politics, including efforts by Russia. The review will thoroughly assess current financial rules and safeguards, and provide recommendations to mitigate future interference risks. This will include an examination of recent cases of attempted interference in UK politics by a range of foreign actors, including events surrounding the conviction of Reform UK’s former Wales leader, Nathan Gill, for accepting bribes to promote pro-Russian views.
Review conclusions will directly inform the major reforms to protect our elections from foreign interference, which will be set out in a forthcoming elections and democracy bill, and support the Government’s Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan, which aims to make UK politics a harder target for foreign threat actors.
Launching a new, parallel inquiry at this time would be premature as it would risk prejudging the conclusions of the ongoing review and duplicating its efforts. However, the Government will present the findings of the report by the end of March providing an opportunity for further scrutiny and debate.
Cabinet Office
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies. Measured against each constituency's electorate at the 2024 general election, the most came from Dwyfor Meirionnydd, with 6.1 signatures per 1,000 electors (448 in all).
112,940 of the signatures were from the UK and 2,913 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures | Electorate, July 2024 | Per 1,000 electors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dwyfor Meirionnydd | 448 | 73,040 | 6.1 |
| Ceredigion Preseli | 454 | 75,690 | 6.0 |
| Brighton Pavilion | 429 | 74,786 | 5.7 |
| Cardiff West | 398 | 75,697 | 5.3 |
| Bath | 353 | 69,662 | 5.1 |
| Cambridge | 359 | 70,321 | 5.1 |
| Hove and Portslade | 367 | 74,063 | 5.0 |
| Bangor Aberconwy | 334 | 70,527 | 4.7 |
| Cardiff North | 339 | 71,460 | 4.7 |
| Cardiff South and Penarth | 327 | 73,060 | 4.5 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 18,314 |
| South West | 12,522 |
| North West | 12,327 |
| London | 11,565 |
| East of England | 10,308 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 8,929 |
| Scotland | 8,512 |
| Wales | 8,419 |
| East Midlands | 7,841 |
| West Midlands | 7,741 |
| North East | 4,697 |
| Northern Ireland | 973 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 9 February 2026. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/744215.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
4be1d33355801307… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.