Opposition Day: UK-EU Summit
104Ayes
402Noes
Defeated · majority 298 · Government won141 did not vote
647 Members · Aye 104 · No 402 · DNV 141 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
Parliament voted on 13 May 2025 on an opposition motion calling for greater parliamentary scrutiny of the upcoming UK-EU Summit, covering the government's approach to post-Brexit relations with the European Union. The motion was defeated by 402 votes to 104. The government had also successfully passed an amendment to the motion earlier the same day, by 321 votes to 102. The vote reflects a dispute over how much oversight Parliament should have of the government's negotiations and commitments at the summit. Opposition supporters of the motion argued that parliament should be able to examine what the government intends to agree before any deal or declaration is made. The government and its allies rejected that framing, preferring to manage the summit through existing channels rather than under the terms of an opposition-drafted scrutiny motion. The Conservative Party provided 94 of the 104 ayes, with Reform UK contributing 7 and two independents and one DUP MP making up the rest. Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Greens all voted no, showing broad support for the government position across parties that might normally be considered ideologically distinct. No Labour, Liberal Democrat or SNP MP voted with the Conservatives on this occasion.
Voting Aye meant
Support greater parliamentary scrutiny of the UK-EU Summit and the government's approach to post-Brexit EU relations, implying concern that concessions or closer alignment may be made without adequate oversight.
Voting No meant
Oppose the opposition motion, backing the government's handling of UK-EU relations and rejecting the framing of the summit as requiring additional parliamentary scrutiny at this stage.
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
0
289
72
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
94
0
22
Liberal Democrats
Whipped No
0
62
9
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
30
12
Independent
—
2
5
6
Scottish National Party
Whipped No
0
6
3
Reform UK
Whipped Aye
7
0
1
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
—
1
0
4
Green Party of England and Wales
Whipped No
0
4
0
Plaid Cymru
Whipped No
0
4
0
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
1
1
Your Party
—
0
1
1
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
Conservative Party must maintain hard Brexit red lines: reject youth mobility schemes, dynamic alignment, ECJ jurisdiction, and new payments to EU; defend fishing rights and ensure NATO remains sole defence foundationConservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (3,487 words) →
Government has clear mandate to reset UK-EU relationship on safety, security, and growth; will not rejoin single market or customs union or accept freedom of movement, but pragmatically negotiates to reduce trade barriers and strengthen defence cooperationLabour · Voted no · Read full speech (3,522 words) →
Conservative motion offers no solutions; Labour's half-measures fall short; Liberal Democrats advocate bold four-step roadmap including eventual customs union and single market membership to unlock growthLiberal Democrat · Voted no · Read full speech (2,940 words) →
Referendum result represents superior mandate to single-term election; concerns about European defence procurement favouring France/Germany; warns against dynamic alignment and ECJ jurisdictionConservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (4,349 words) →
UK already has defence cooperation and owns significant military capabilities; government must explain what tangible benefits a new defence pact provides before agreeingConservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (3,893 words) →
Government pragmatism replaces Conservative chaos; EU trade deal essential for growth; youth mobility scheme and defence partnership strengthen Britain without reversing BrexitLabour · Voted no · Read full speech (2,583 words) →
Security and defence partnership with EU essential given Putin threat; cooperation with Europe strengthens rather than undermines UK securityLabour · Voted no · Read full speech (3,306 words) →
Both government and opposition are hard Brexiteers; questions damage of Brexit and seeks commitment to youth mobility scheme for young peopleScottish National Party · Voted no · Read full speech (159 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0