MORE than 2,500 people in East Lothian have signed a petition calling for a new General Election.

More than two-and-a-half-million people across Great Britain have signed the petition, which was launched by West Midlands pub landlord Michael Westwood.

The petition claims that the current Labour Government has “gone back on the promises they laid out in the lead-up to the last election”.

Parliament will consider all petitions that attract more than 100,000 signatures for a debate, while the Government responds to all petitions that get more than 10,000 signatures.

Labour's Douglas Alexander became the first ever MP for the new Lothian East constituency in July, finishing ahead of the SNP's Lyn Jardine in second.

READ MORE: Douglas Alexander MP column: East Lothian a great place to do business

At that time, Mr Alexander gained just short of 50 per cent of the vote in the redrawn constituency, which incorporates the majority of East Lothian, minus about two-thirds of Musselburgh.

In Lothian East, about 2.5 per cent of the electorate have signed the petition for a new General Election, a figure which broadly mirrors the surrounding constituencies.

In Midlothian, 2.54 per cent have signed the petition while 2.38 per cent have signed it in Edinburgh West. In Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, the figure is 1.56 per cent.

However, in some constituencies in England, more than seven per cent of the electorate has signed the petition.

Mr Alexander has been approached for comment.

The petition is available at petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700143