The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025
304Ayes
105Noes
Carried · majority 199 · Government won240 did not vote
649 Members · Aye 304 · No 105 · DNV 240 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
On 2 April 2025, the House of Commons voted to approve The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025. The motion passed by 304 votes to 105. The regulations update the rules governing driving licences in Great Britain, making procedural and administrative changes to the licensing framework. These regulations amend the existing framework that governs how driving licences are issued, maintained, and administered. Such statutory instruments (secondary legislation made under powers granted by an Act of Parliament) are the standard mechanism by which the government updates licensing rules without requiring a full new Act. The practical effect is to bring the licensing regime up to date, affecting drivers, licence applicants, and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, which administers the system. The vote divided sharply along party lines. Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs voted unanimously in favour, while Conservatives, Reform UK, the Democratic Unionist Party, and the Ulster Unionist Party all voted against. Six independents backed the regulations and one voted against. The Green Party supported the government. Despite the opposition from Conservative and smaller right-leaning parties, the government's majority was sufficient to carry the regulations comfortably.
Voting Aye meant
Support approving the updated driving licence regulations as proposed by the government
Voting No meant
Oppose the driving licence regulation changes, likely citing concerns about specific provisions within them
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 Aye
267
0
94
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped No
0
94
22
Liberal Democrats
—
0
0
72
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped Aye
28
0
14
Independent
—
7
0
6
Scottish National Party
—
0
0
9
Reform UK
Whipped No
0
4
3
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
Whipped No
0
3
2
Green Party of England and Wales
Whipped Aye
3
0
1
Plaid Cymru
—
0
0
4
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
0
2
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
0
1
Restore Britain
—
0
1
0
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
0
0
1
Ulster Unionist Party
—
0
1
0
Your Party
—
0
0
1
Source · Hansard · UK Parliament Votes API · whip status from announced positions; “free vote” indicates the whip was formally removed
Supports regulations to ease the transition to zero emission vehicles by removing training requirements for battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, reducing business costs and regulatory burden.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,398 words) →
Opposes narrowing the scope from alternatively fuelled vehicles to only zero emission vehicles, arguing this restricts innovation and fails to support synthetic fuels and hydrogen combustion technology.Conservative · Voted no · Read full speech (1,324 words) →
Contends the regulations harm UK synthetic biology and engineered sustainable fuel research by excluding non-zero-emission alternative fuels.Conservative · Voted no · Read full speech (90 words) →
Supports the restriction to zero emission vehicles aligned with 2035 net zero targets but expresses concern about removing the five-hour training requirement and emphasises need for EV charging infrastructure.Liberal Democrat · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (274 words) →
Seeks clarification on the scope of disability provisions within the regulations.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (29 words) →
Questions whether alternative fuels would actually require additional weight and therefore genuinely need the regulatory flexibility sought by the opposition.Scottish National Party · Voted aye · Read full speech (99 words) →
Raises unrelated concern about excessive waiting times for driving test appointments and suspected bot manipulation of the booking system.Conservative · Voted no · Read full speech (166 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0