What is the point of petitions in British politics?

Just under 2 million people signed a petition opposing Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK – half the number of those who signed one asking for a second EU referendum. With the role of petitions taking centre stage as a result, Cristina Leston-Bandeira situates the process within a broader policy-making context. She explains that petitions are an effective way of raising awareness or showing discontent, and that the adoption of public demands into policy remains subject to the usual political process