Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill Report Stage: New Clause 34
77Ayes
315Noes
Defeated · majority 238 · Government won255 did not vote
647 Members · Aye 77 · No 315 · DNV 255 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
New clause 34, which would have extended free school meals to all primary school children in England, was defeated at report stage of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on 18 March 2025. The vote was 77 in favour and 315 against, a margin of 238. The new clause would have created a universal entitlement to free school lunches for all primary pupils, rather than limiting provision to children whose families meet means-tested eligibility criteria. Passing it would have required the government to fund and deliver meals to a far larger group of children than currently receive them. Supporters argued this would address child hunger directly, pointing to figures of 4.3 million children living in poverty in England. Labour MPs voted overwhelmingly against the clause, with 274 Labour MPs and 30 Labour and Co-operative MPs recorded as no, and only 7 Labour MPs voting in favour. The Liberal Democrats provided the largest bloc of support, with 60 of their MPs voting aye and none voting no. The Greens voted 3 to 0 in favour. Reform UK voted 3 to 0 against. The clause was tabled with cross-party backing at committee stage, but could not survive Labour's opposition on the floor of the House.
Voting Aye meant
Support universal free school meals for all primary school children, treating child hunger as a public health and equality issue that justifies the cost.
Voting No meant
Oppose extending free school meals universally, likely citing the cost of expanding provision beyond existing means-tested eligibility.
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
7
274
80
Conservative and Unionist Party
—
0
0
116
Liberal Democrats
Whipped Aye
60
0
11
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
30
12
Independent
—
5
3
5
Scottish National Party
—
0
0
9
Reform UK
Whipped No
0
3
4
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
Whipped No
0
4
1
Green Party of England and Wales
Whipped Aye
3
0
1
Plaid Cymru
—
0
0
4
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
0
2
Your Party
—
2
0
0
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
0
1
Restore Britain
—
0
0
1
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
Bill prioritizes child safety, education standards, and opportunity; government amendments strengthen data protection and extend provisions to Wales while respecting home education parents doing right thingLabour · Voted no · Read full speech (4,425 words) →
Bill strips freedoms from academies on curriculum and recruitment, removes accountability via automatic academy conversion, and gives local authorities power to restrict popular schools, undermining 40 years of cross-party education reformConservative · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (4,082 words) →
Schools in her area (Walsall) have improved significantly under Conservative governance; questions whether government amendments represent real progressConservative · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (118 words) →
Bill removes curriculum flexibility that allows schools like Michaela to tailor provision for disadvantaged pupils; curriculum freedoms are essential; home education registration requirements risk being disproportionately onerousConservative · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (3,399 words) →
Bill restores coherence to admissions planning, reduces school uniform costs, introduces home education register to prevent child safeguarding failures, and expands breakfast provision; welcomes free school meals auto-enrolment measuresLabour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,688 words) →
Calls for investment in outdoor education as part of mental health response and curriculum enrichmentLiberal Democrat · Voted aye · Read full speech (158 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0