Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill: Reasoned Amendment to Second Reading
173Ayes
335Noes
Defeated · majority 162 · Government won139 did not vote
647 Members · Aye 173 · No 335 · DNV 139 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
Parliament voted on 25 November 2024 on a reasoned amendment (a formal motion to reject a bill's principles before it advances) to the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill at its Second Reading. The amendment, put forward by the Conservatives, argued against the bill's proposal to remove business rates relief from private schools. The amendment was defeated by 335 votes to 173, allowing the bill to proceed to its next parliamentary stage. The bill would end the business rates relief that independent schools in England currently receive as charitable organisations, effectively increasing their tax burden. In practical terms, private schools would face higher operating costs as a result, which supporters of the change argue makes the tax system fairer and which critics argue could lead to fee increases and some pupils moving into the state sector. The revenues raised are intended, according to the government, to fund improvements in state education, including hiring additional teachers. The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. All 292 Labour MPs and 35 Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted opposed the amendment, while all 98 Conservative MPs who voted supported it. The Liberal Democrats, with 61 voting in favour of the amendment, joined the Conservatives in opposing the bill's principle, as did Reform UK (4 votes) and the Democratic Unionist Party (2 votes). The Greens voted with the government against the amendment. The result was never in serious doubt given Labour's Commons majority, and subsequent votes at Report Stage in January 2025 produced similar margins, confirming the government's sustained position.
Voting Aye meant
Support blocking the bill, arguing it adds to an unacceptable burden on businesses and is flawed in removing private schools' rate relief
Voting No meant
Support progressing the bill, backing the government's plan to reform business rates and fund public services by ending private schools' charitable rate relief
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
291
70
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
98
0
18
Liberal Democrats
Whipped Aye
61
0
11
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
35
7
Independent
—
6
5
3
Scottish National Party
—
0
0
9
Reform UK
Whipped Aye
4
0
3
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
—
2
0
3
Green Party of England and Wales
Whipped No
0
4
0
Plaid Cymru
—
0
0
4
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
0
2
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
0
1
Restore Britain
—
1
0
0
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
1
0
0
Ulster Unionist Party
—
1
0
0
Your Party
—
0
1
0
Source · Hansard · UK Parliament Votes API · whip status from announced positions; “free vote” indicates the whip was formally removed
Bill delivers permanent tax cuts for high streets, extends temporary relief to 40%, and funds £2.3bn schools investment by removing private school tax breaks; includes safeguards for SEND provision.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (3,910 words) →
Bill is a stealth tax on business breaking manifesto promises; cuts relief from 75% to 40%, imposes £925m rise in rates, and the private school measures will drive 90,000 pupils into already under-capacity state schools.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (2,846 words) →
Bill is inadequate tinkering rather than fundamental business rates reform; removes temporary relief cliff-edge but creates new problems; taxing education in principle is wrong; lacks impact assessment and may inadvertently subsidise big chains.Liberal Democrat · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,754 words) →
Bill essential to fund state education after decade of austerity; removes unfair tax breaks allowing wealthy families advantage; supports high-needs SEND funding uplift of £1bn.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,781 words) →
Business rates particularly problematic due to fixed-cost nature; Bill fails to distinguish online from traditional retail; total revenue raised will increase not stay same; will cause displacement into state schools creating local strain.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,987 words) →
Supports permanent high-street rate cuts and ending private school tax breaks; but urges safeguards for smaller faith and independent schools charging £3k fees that serve deprived communities.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,545 words) →
As former teacher, supports removing private school tax exemptions; state schools lack basic supplies while private schools enjoy advantages; £1.5bn will transform state education.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (810 words) →
Cumulative impact of NI rises, Employment Rights Bill, and business rates cuts will devastate small businesses; demands Government publish impact assessments and statistics on pupils moving to state sector.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (327 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0