London, England, Jul 21, 2010 / 18:17 pm
A May response from the U.K. government to an electronic petition asking it to "disassociate" itself from the views of Pope Benedict XVI has resurfaced in the news. The petition's author argued it was prematurely closed to help the Pope save face, but evidence shows his petition was halted like all the others.
Under the Gordon Brown government, the official website of the British prime minister, www.number10.gov.uk, allowed "e-petitions" to be submitted to give citizens a voice on an official platform. Petitions with over 500 signatures were promised responses.
Among the petitions lodged before the Brown administration lost the elections this past May was one one imploring the prime minister "to disassociate the British government from the Pope's intolerant views ahead of the Papal visit to Britain in September 2010."
The petition had garnered more than 12,000 signatures before it was blocked on April 6, like all other petitions from the previous government, with the entry of David Cameron's newly-elected government.