Employment Rights Bill Report Stage: Amendment 291

Parliament voted on 12 March 2025 on Amendment 291 to the Employment Rights Bill during its Report Stage (the phase where the full House of Commons scrutinises and revises a bill after it has been examined in committee). The amendment, tabled by the Conservatives, concerned trade union political funds and would have maintained the existing requirement for union members to actively opt in to contributing to a political fund, rather than allowing the change proposed in the bill, which shifts to an opt-out arrangement. The amendment was defeated by 324 votes to 164.

The vote matters because it determines how trade unions may collect money for political activity, including donations to political parties. Under the current law, union members must explicitly choose to join the political fund levy. The Employment Rights Bill, through Clause 52, would reverse this, making contribution the default position unless a member actively opts out. The Conservative amendment sought to preserve the opt-in requirement. The defeat of the amendment means the bill's opt-out model is set to proceed, which critics argue will increase the flow of money into trade union political funds and, by extension, to the Labour Party.

The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. All 308 Labour and Labour Co-operative MPs who voted supported the government by voting No. The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Reform UK and the Democratic Unionist Party all voted Aye, combining for 164 votes against the government. The Liberal Democrats voted with the Conservatives despite their overall stated support for many parts of the Employment Rights Bill, reflecting their specific objection to this provision. The Green Party and Plaid Cymru backed the government. The debate was notably heated, with exchanges about financial interests on both sides, declarations of trade union membership from Labour MPs, and Conservative accusations that the bill amounted to repayment of trade union financial support for the Labour Party.