LONDON (AP) — British lawmakers will debate a public petition on whether to hold a second referendum on the country's membership in the European Union.

The debate follows a petition that urged the government to hold another vote since turnout was below 75 percent and fewer than 60 percent of voters backed the decision to leave the bloc.

The government has already ruled out a second referendum, but lawmakers are obliged to debate any petition that receives 100,000 signatures and this one garnered 4.1 million.

The minister in charge for the British exit, or Brexit, said before the debate Monday that "Brexit isn't about making the best of a bad job. It is about seizing the huge and exciting opportunities that will flow from a new place for Britain in the world."