King's Speech (Motion for an Address): Amendment (k)

What happened: On 23 July 2024, the House of Commons voted on Amendment (k) to the King's Speech, a motion put forward as part of the traditional opposition debate on the government's legislative programme. The amendment was defeated by 382 votes to 85. The King's Speech debate is the formal parliamentary occasion on which MPs debate and can challenge the government's plans for the parliamentary session, and opposition amendments are the standard mechanism for doing so.

Why it matters: The vote concerned issues of constitution and democracy, with the amendment representing a Conservative-aligned critique of the incoming Labour government's plans in this area. The defeat of the amendment means that Labour's legislative programme on constitutional and democratic matters faces no immediate parliamentary obstacle. With such a large majority voting against the amendment, the government retains a strong mandate to proceed with its agenda as set out in the King's Speech.

The politics: Notably, the Conservative Party does not appear in the voting record at all, suggesting low or absent turnout from the Official Opposition. The 85 votes in favour came overwhelmingly from the Liberal Democrats, who provided 66 of the Ayes, alongside smaller contributions from independents, Plaid Cymru, the Green Party, Reform UK, and the Social Democratic and Labour Party. Labour and its Co-operative Party allies voted unanimously against. The Democratic Unionist Party and Traditional Unionist Voice sided with the government in opposition. This unusual cross-party shape, with non-Conservative parties providing most of the Aye votes, reflects the particular dynamics of the 2024 parliament following Labour's landslide general election victory.