Winners and losers on the campaign trail

While not every petition is a success, are there enough victories to suggest they are an effective means of getting politicians not just to listen but to act?

The evidence so far as Kent County Council’s track record is concerned, is mixed.

Changes by KCC to the popular Freedom Pass, its subsidised travel scheme for 11-16 year-olds, have been challenged several times via e-petitions.

Last year, more than 3,000 people urged KCC to reconsider an increase in the charge to £270. Petition organisers got the chance to ask for a re-think at a backbench committee meeting but the council eventually decided to stick by the increase.

There was more success for campaigners calling on KCC to