Motion to sit in private

On 7 March 2025, the House of Commons voted on a motion to hold proceedings in private, closing the session to the public and press. The motion was defeated by 75 votes to 1, with only one MP voting in favour. The vote concerned parliamentary transparency. Proceedings in the House of Commons are normally open to the public and the media, and motions to sit in private are a recognised but rarely used procedure that would suspend that openness for a session. The overwhelming rejection means proceedings remained open and publicly observable. All parties that cast votes opposed the motion. Three Labour MPs voted in favour, alongside no MPs from any other party. The remaining 75 votes against came from Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Labour and Co-operative, and Independent MPs. The vast majority of members across all parties had no vote recorded.