National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill Committee: New Clause 1
195Ayes
353Noes
Defeated · majority 158 · Government won104 did not vote
652 Members · Aye 195 · No 353 · DNV 104 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
Parliament voted on 17 December 2024 to reject New Clause 1 of the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill, which would have required the Chancellor to publish a formal assessment of the employer National Insurance rises' effects on employment, real wages, inflation and household disposable income within one year of the Act passing. The motion was defeated by 353 votes to 195. The practical effect of the defeat is that no statutory requirement exists for the government to report specifically on how the NIC changes affect jobs and living standards. The Bill itself raises the employer NIC rate from 13.8% to 15%, reduces the secondary threshold from £9,100 to £5,000 per year, and doubles the Employment Allowance to £10,500, all taking effect from April 2025. New Clause 1 did not seek to alter those measures; it sought a transparent accounting of their consequences within a fixed timeframe. The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. All 310 Labour MPs and 37 Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted did so against the clause. Every Conservative, Liberal Democrat, SNP, DUP, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru MP who voted supported it, along with five independents. Three independents voted no. The result reflects the government's commanding Commons majority, and this was one of several similar scrutiny-focused divisions fought during the Bill's passage through Committee.
Voting Aye meant
Support requiring a formal government assessment of the economic damage caused by the employer NICs increase, including its effects on jobs, wages, inflation and living standards
Voting No meant
Oppose the mandatory review, arguing the government has already published sufficient economic analysis through the OBR and that the assessment requirement is unnecessary
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
310
51
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
96
0
20
Liberal Democrats
Whipped Aye
68
0
3
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
37
5
Independent
—
6
3
5
Scottish National Party
Whipped Aye
8
0
1
Reform UK
Whipped Aye
4
0
3
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
5
0
0
Green Party of England and Wales
—
0
0
4
Plaid Cymru
Whipped Aye
3
0
1
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
0
2
Your Party
—
0
1
1
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
1
0
0
Restore Britain
—
1
0
0
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
1
0
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
Opposes the Bill; warns it will devastate GPs, care homes, and hospices already under strain and undermine efforts to move healthcare into the community.Liberal Democrats · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,623 words) →
Supports the Bill as necessary to repair public finances and rebuild NHS following Conservative mismanagement; rejects claims of unintended damage to frontline services.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,131 words) →
Opposes the Bill; argues it breaks manifesto promises and will force 940,000 employers to pay an average £26,000 more, harming services and employment, particularly in healthcare and childcare.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,967 words) →
Opposes the Bill; questions how taxing GPs, care homes, and hospices aligns with NHS support; demands government clarify funding source and impact on employment.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,256 words) →
Supports the Bill; argues a simplified, consistent tax approach is preferable to sector-by-sector exemptions; emphasizes employment allowance protects 865,000 smallest employers.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,634 words) →
Questions government's approach; notes five GP surgeries warned NI increase will undermine patient care and that contract negotiations are too slow for urgent staffing decisions.Green Party · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (119 words) →
Opposes the Bill for Northern Ireland; argues healthcare, social care, hospices, and community sectors are uniquely vulnerable and should be exempted given regional funding strain.Ulster Unionist Party · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,089 words) →
Supports the Bill; argues it funds essential services and crime prevention; rejects Opposition claims as 'fantasy economics' without acknowledging Conservative legacy.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,762 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0