Budget Resolution No. 14: Energy (oil and gas) profits levy (period for which levy has effect)
450Ayes
120Noes
Carried · majority 330 · Government won78 did not vote
648 Members · Aye 450 · No 120 · DNV 78 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
Parliament voted on 6 November 2024 to extend the period for which the Energy Profits Levy remains in effect. The levy, commonly called the windfall tax, applies an additional charge on the profits of North Sea oil and gas companies. The resolution passed by 450 votes to 120. The vote matters because the Energy Profits Levy determines how long energy firms operating in the North Sea face an additional tax burden on top of their ordinary corporation tax liability. Extending the levy keeps that additional charge in place for longer, raising revenue from companies that have benefited from elevated energy prices. The practical effect is that oil and gas producers will continue paying the surcharge into the future rather than seeing it expire on an earlier date. Voting split almost entirely along party lines. Labour, the Labour and Co-operative Party, the Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, and the Green Party all voted in favour, delivering the government's majority. The Conservatives, the Scottish National Party, Reform UK, and the Democratic Unionist Party voted against. The SNP's opposition is notable given that Scotland has a direct economic interest in North Sea production. No significant cross-party rebellions were recorded; among independents, nine voted aye and two voted no.
Voting Aye meant
Support extending the duration of the windfall tax on oil and gas company profits, raising revenue from energy firms benefiting from elevated prices
Voting No meant
Oppose extending the windfall tax on oil and gas profits, likely citing concerns about investment in domestic energy production or the impact on the sector
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 Aye
330
0
31
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped No
0
101
15
Liberal Democrats
Whipped Aye
63
0
8
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped Aye
36
0
6
Independent
—
9
2
3
Scottish National Party
Whipped No
0
9
0
Reform UK
Whipped No
0
4
3
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
Whipped No
0
3
2
Green Party of England and Wales
Whipped Aye
4
0
0
Plaid Cymru
Whipped Aye
4
0
0
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
1
0
1
Your Party
—
2
0
0
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
0
1
Restore Britain
—
0
1
0
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
0
1
0
Ulster Unionist Party
—
1
0
0
Source · Hansard · UK Parliament Votes API · whip status from announced positions; “free vote” indicates the whip was formally removed
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Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0