Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill Report Stage: New Clause 1
175Ayes
342Noes
Defeated · majority 167 · Government won130 did not vote
647 Members · Aye 175 · No 342 · DNV 130 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
Parliament voted on 15 January 2025 on New Clause 1 to the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill, which would have required the government to conduct a formal review of the impact of the bill's new business rates multipliers on businesses, including small businesses, high streets, and economic growth. The motion was defeated by 342 votes to 175. The bill itself restructures business rates in England by introducing lower multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with rateable values below £500,000, funded by higher multipliers on properties valued at £500,000 or more, with changes taking effect from April 2026. New Clause 1 sought to build a statutory review mechanism into that framework, requiring formal published scrutiny of how the new multipliers were working in practice. Its defeat means no such legal obligation to review will be attached to the multiplier provisions. Labour and the Labour and Co-operative Party voted unanimously against the new clause, providing the bulk of the 342 noes. The Conservatives supplied 98 of the 175 ayes, and the Liberal Democrats contributed 64. Reform UK, the Greens, and one Democratic Unionist Party MP also voted aye, forming a cross-party opposition bloc against the government. No notable rebels were recorded on either side. The vote sits within a broader legislative passage that continued into March 2025, when the Commons disagreed with several Lords amendments to the same bill in a series of further divisions.
Voting Aye meant
Support requiring a statutory review of the impact of new business rates multipliers on businesses and high streets, arguing the changes need formal scrutiny given their scale.
Voting No meant
Oppose mandating a separate review, arguing the government will already monitor and report on the multipliers' effects through Budget statements and fiscal events.
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
302
59
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
98
0
18
Liberal Democrats
Whipped Aye
63
0
8
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
35
7
Independent
—
6
3
5
Scottish National Party
—
0
0
9
Reform UK
Whipped Aye
6
0
1
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
—
1
0
4
Green Party of England and Wales
Whipped Aye
3
0
1
Plaid Cymru
—
0
0
4
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
1
1
Your Party
—
0
1
1
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
0
1
Restore Britain
—
0
0
1
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
0
0
1
Ulster Unionist Party
—
0
0
1
Source · Hansard · UK Parliament Votes API · whip status from announced positions; “free vote” indicates the whip was formally removed
Supports permanent business rates reduction for retail/hospitality/leisure but demands impact assessments and broader reform including manufacturing; opposes VAT on private schools.Liberal Democrat · Voted aye · Read full speech (2,142 words) →
Warns of unintended consequences: small businesses could be 80% worse off while big chains like Starbucks gain 40% under the scheme; calls for differential impact assessment.Liberal Democrat · Voted aye · Read full speech (649 words) →
Supports Bill as common-sense rebalancing favouring local independents over online giants; cites expert evidence that Bill benefits 98% of retail stores and has marginal impact on private schools.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (798 words) →
Opposes removal of private school charitable relief and business rate rises; cites closure of Carrdus school (120 pupils); seeks amendment to delay implementation and protect SEND schools.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (993 words) →
Criticises Bill as smoke-and-mirrors: cuts to relief offset by higher multipliers; raises will hit major employers (supermarkets, hotels, NHS); revaluation will compound increases; seeks review via New Clause 2.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (2,052 words) →
Defends Bill as essential to support high streets and fund state education; rejects amendments as diluting support; private schools are businesses and should pay rates like any other.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (2,083 words) →
Argues Bill harms SMEs, data centres, breweries, zoos, and stadiums; contradicts Labour's pre-election promise to abolish business rates; removal of private school relief harms state schools via lost facility-sharing.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (2,532 words) →
Backs Bill as fair and necessary; private schools are businesses and should contribute; focuses on high street support and equity in education funding for state sector.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,028 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0