King's Speech (Motion for an Address): Amendment (k)
85Ayes
382Noes
Defeated · majority 297 · Government won180 did not vote
647 Members · Aye 85 · No 382 · DNV 180 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
On 23 July 2024, the House of Commons voted on Amendment (k) to the motion for an Address in response to the King's Speech, which set out the new Labour government's legislative programme. The amendment was defeated by 382 votes to 85. The vote took place in the first weeks after Labour's general election victory, as Parliament formally responded to the new government's agenda. King's Speech debates are among Parliament's oldest rituals. After the monarch reads a speech drafted by the government, the Commons debates and votes on a motion to send a formal reply, called the Address. Opposition parties use this moment to table amendments criticising or proposing alternatives to the government's stated plans. A defeat for the amendment is therefore a defeat for those seeking to modify or challenge the government's programme. The Liberal Democrats led the Aye side with 66 votes, joined by four each from Plaid Cymru and the Green Party, three from Reform UK, two from the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and five Independents. Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs voted unanimously against, producing 371 No votes between them. The Democratic Unionist Party added four No votes, and one Independent also voted No. No Conservative MPs appear in the record, which is notable given their numbers in this Parliament; no vote is recorded for them in this division.
Voting Aye meant
Support Amendment (k) to the King's Speech address, signalling disagreement with some aspect of Labour's legislative programme as outlined in the King's Speech
Voting No meant
Reject Amendment (k), backing Labour's King's Speech programme and opposing the opposition's attempt to alter or criticise it
Each row is one party. The stacked bar gives the within-party split of Aye / No / Absent; the columns on the right give the raw counts. The whip column shows the published party position — “Free vote” means the whip was formally removed for this division.
Party
Whip
Aye / No / Abs
Aye
No
Abs
Labour Party
Whipped No
0
332
29
Conservative and Unionist Party
—
0
0
116
Liberal Democrats
Whipped Aye
65
0
6
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
39
3
Independent
—
6
4
4
Scottish National Party
—
0
0
9
Reform UK
Whipped Aye
3
0
4
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
Whipped No
0
4
1
Green Party of England and Wales
Whipped Aye
4
0
0
Plaid Cymru
Whipped Aye
4
0
0
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
2
0
0
Your Party
—
1
1
0
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
1
0
0
Restore Britain
—
1
0
0
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
0
1
0
Ulster Unionist Party
—
0
1
0
Source · Hansard · UK Parliament Votes API · whip status from announced positions; “free vote” indicates the whip was formally removed
Criticized Labour's cancellation of Rwanda asylum scheme, effective amnesty for illegal arrivals, and poor diplomatic handling; defended Conservative policing and migration records while accusing Labour of abandoning tough rhetoric.Conservative · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (4,153 words) →
Outlined three-pillar Home Office strategy (crime/policing, borders/asylum, security); criticized Conservative legacy on police numbers, visa system mismanagement, and Rwanda scheme's wasteful £700m spend with minimal results.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (4,485 words) →
Welcomed Home Secretary's openness to cross-party working; supported scrapping Rwanda scheme and called for proper community policing, court backlog reduction, and better immigration system for economy and genuine refugees.Liberal Democrat · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,767 words) →
Acknowledged election defeat; defended Rwanda scheme as part of deterrent strategy and criticized its abandonment; emphasized need for international development spending and returns agreements as long-term solutions.Conservative · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (1,006 words) →
Focused on poverty, inequality, and disabled people's rights; welcomed King's Speech measures on child poverty, social security, and living standards as remedy to 14 years of Conservative cuts.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,228 words) →
Emphasized impact of Conservative cuts on schools, housing, health, and children's mental health; welcomed Labour's legislative programme for child poverty, education, and young people's wellbeing.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,213 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0