Employment Rights Bill Report Stage: New Clause 110

Parliament voted on 12 March 2025 on New Clause 110, tabled by Liberal Democrat MPs during the Report Stage of the Employment Rights Bill. The clause concerned parts 4 and 5 of the Bill, covering trade union and industrial action provisions, which the Liberal Democrats argued remained unresolved. The vote was defeated by 314 votes to 168. The Employment Rights Bill makes extensive changes to employment law, including expanding trade union rights, repealing the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023, and introducing workplace access rights for unions. The Liberal Democrats argued that large amounts of crucial detail in the trade union sections had been left to secondary legislation, future consultation, and further government amendments, making it impossible to assess or endorse those parts of the Bill in their current form. The government opposed the clause, arguing that the Bill already addresses the relevant concerns and that outstanding detail would be settled through consultation and secondary legislation after Royal Assent. The vote divided almost entirely along opposition-versus-government lines. All 308 Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted did so against the clause. The Liberal Democrats provided 62 of the 168 Aye votes, with 64 Conservatives, 6 Reform UK MPs, 3 Democratic Unionist Party MPs, and a small number of independents and one Ulster Unionist also voting in favour. The Green Party voted with the government. No Labour MPs broke with their party on the clause.