Second EU referendum petition signed by more than 1.5m People

People gathered to protest outside the Houses of Parliament following the leave result  (Image: EPA)

More than 1.5 million people have signed a petition calling for a second EU referendum, after the vote to leave.

It has more signatures than any other on the parliamentary website and as it has passed 100,000, Parliament will consider it for a debate.

The UK voted to leave the EU by 52% to 48% in Thursday's referendum but the majority of voters in London, Scotland and Northern Ireland backed Remain.

David Cameron has previously said there would be no second referendum.

On Friday he said he would stand down as prime minister by October following the leave result.

'Accept that decision'

A House of Commons spokeswoman said the petition was created on 24 May. Signatories have spiked since the referendum result.

The petitions website states that it was set up by an individual called William Oliver Healey and says: "We the undersigned call upon HM Government to implement a rule that if the Remain or Leave vote is less than 60%, based on a turnout less than 75%, there should be another referendum."

Thursday saw a 72.2% turnout, significantly higher than the 66.1% turnout at last year's general election, but below the 75% mark suggested by Mr Healey as a threshold.

A debate in Parliament is a good way to raise the profile of an issue with law makers but it does not automatically follow that there will be a change in the law.

(Image: UK Government)

'Referendum not neverendums'

UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who has campaigned for the UK to leave the EU throughout his political career, said in May that a narrow win for Remain could cause unstoppable demand for a rerun of the referendum.

He said at the time that a result that saw Remain win by 52% to 48% would mean "unfinished business by a long way".

But Mr Cameron has said the referendum was a "once in a generation, once in a lifetime" decision, saying the UK had "referendums not neverendums".

David Cameron said he would step down as prime minister after the UK voted to leave the EU  (Image: Reuters)

The parliamentary petitions system is overseen by the Petitions Committee, which considers whether petitions that receive more than 100,000 signatures should be raised in the House of Commons and debated.

The committee is due to sit again on Tuesday.

In a separate petition more than 100,000 people have called on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to declare the English capital independent from the UK and apply to join the EU.

Across all 33 boroughs in London 59.9% of people voted to stay in the EU, with the Remain vote more than 70% in some boroughs.

The page, set up by James O'Malley, states: "London is an international city, and we want to remain at the heart of Europe.

"Let's face it - the rest of the country disagrees. So rather than passive aggressively vote against each other at every election, let's make the divorce official and move in with our friends on the continent."

Mr Khan has said he has no doubt London would "continue to be the successful city" but called for the UK to remain part of the single market.

Former London Mayor Boris Johnson, one of the leading Leave campaigners and the bookmakers' odds-on favourite to succeed David Cameron, has insisted the UK is not "turning its back" on Europe.

He said the decision would not make the UK any less tolerant or outward looking and would not reduce opportunities for young people.