ACTIVITY

Writing a petition ACTIVITY

Suffragists believed in using peaceful methods to obtain the vote. One of their methods was to use petitions to gather signatures from the public. They sent these petitions to sympathetic MPs in the House of Commons, who used the information to raise the issue of votes for women in Parliament. From 1870–1884 there were Parliamentary debates about women’s suffrage nearly every year. Now draw up your own petition. • What will your petition say?

What are you petitioning for? • Who is your local Member of Parliament (MP)? • What do you want your MP to do? • Write a petition listing your demands and telling your MP what you would like her or him to do • Take your petition around your school and collect as many signatures as possible • Send your petition to your MP

SUGGESTIONS…

What about a petition demanding votes for 16-year-olds?

Or calling for some environmental-friendly public transport in

Hastings. PAPER OR ONLINE: WHICH WORKS BEST? With a paper petition you can meet and talk to people in your school or in the street. You can explain your point of view and discuss the issues. An online petition reaches many more people but is not so personal. Which do you think works best?