Product Regulation and Metrology Bill [Lords] Report Stage: New Clause 4
171Ayes
274Noes
Defeated · majority 103 · Government won202 did not vote
647 Members · Aye 171 · No 274 · DNV 202 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
Parliament voted down New Clause 4 to the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill at Report Stage on 4 June 2025, rejecting a proposal to establish a voluntary "Made in UK" labelling scheme for British-manufactured goods. The clause fell by 274 votes to 171. The new clause would have required the government to create a voluntary labelling scheme under which goods produced or manufactured in the UK could be clearly marked as such, alongside a promotional campaign to raise consumer awareness of the scheme. Supporters argued it would help consumers make informed purchasing decisions and give British businesses, particularly manufacturers, a competitive advantage. The government opposed it, and with Labour's numerical strength in the Commons, the proposal was defeated. Every Conservative (90), Liberal Democrat (60), Reform UK (8), Green (4), Plaid Cymru (2) and Democratic Unionist Party (2) MP who voted supported the new clause. All 273 Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted opposed it, and no Labour member crossed the floor. The vote reflects a clean government-versus-opposition division, with no notable rebels on either side.
Voting Aye meant
Support creating a voluntary UK-made labelling scheme to help consumers identify British-manufactured goods and boost domestic producers
Voting No meant
Oppose the new clause, likely arguing it is unnecessary, unworkable, or that the government's existing approach is sufficient — or that the definition of 'made in UK' requires further refinement before legislating
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
244
117
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
90
0
26
Liberal Democrats
Whipped Aye
59
0
12
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
29
13
Independent
—
4
2
7
Scottish National Party
—
0
0
9
Reform UK
Whipped Aye
8
0
0
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
—
2
0
3
Green Party of England and Wales
Whipped Aye
4
0
0
Plaid Cymru
—
2
0
2
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
0
2
Your Party
—
0
0
2
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
0
1
Restore Britain
—
1
0
0
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
Supports New Clause 1 to assess country-of-origin marking for ceramics to protect UK manufacturers from counterfeit products and unfair competition, particularly from Chinese copies.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (2,601 words) →
Opposed to the Bill's core structure; argues clause 2(7) enables unconstitutional dynamic alignment with EU law without parliamentary oversight, effectively sabotaging Brexit and reducing the Commons to a rubber-stamp body.DUP · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,283 words) →
Defends the Bill's grant of Henry VIII powers as necessary for the UK to maintain scientific and regulatory leadership; rejects concerns about EU alignment as stemming from misunderstanding metrology and standards frameworks.Conservative · Voted no · Read full speech (1,685 words) →
Supports the Bill as salvage operation post-Brexit but backs New Clause 15 to establish a parliamentary committee to scrutinise EU-derived regulations, arguing the volume of technical complexity requires dedicated expert oversight.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (3,013 words) →
Questions the Bill's concentration of power in the Executive; supports Opposition amendments (including amendment 13) requiring parliamentary statements before alignment with foreign law, to protect SMEs from rapid regulatory change.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (490 words) →
Strongly supports New Clause 1 to protect Staffordshire ceramics industry from cheap imports falsely marketed as British-made, citing the sector's heritage and need for fair competition.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (799 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0