Crime and Policing Bill Report Stage: Amendment 175
184Ayes
336Noes
Defeated · majority 152 · Government won127 did not vote
647 Members · Aye 184 · No 336 · DNV 127 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
Parliament voted on 17 June 2025, during the Report Stage of the Crime and Policing Bill, on Amendment 175, which proposed raising the maximum prison sentence for possessing a knife or offensive weapon with intent to use unlawful violence from four years to fourteen years. The amendment was defeated by 336 votes to 184. The vote concerned a new offence the Bill itself introduces: possession of a bladed article or offensive weapon with the intention to use unlawful violence. Supporters of the amendment wanted the maximum sentence for that offence set at fourteen years rather than four. The government maintained the four-year cap on the grounds that it is consistent with maximum penalties across other knife-related possession offences, and said a wider review of knife offence sentencing was planned. The division fell sharply along party lines, with all 300 Labour MPs and 28 Labour and Co-operative MPs voting against, and Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, and the Democratic Unionist Party all voting in favour. No Conservative or Liberal Democrat voted against the amendment. The result placed the Liberal Democrats in an unusual cross-party alliance with the Conservatives on a law-and-order measure. The vote was one of several Opposition amendments debated across the two-day Report Stage session, with related divisions on the same bill following the next day.
Voting Aye meant
Support raising the maximum sentence for knife/weapon possession with violent intent to 14 years, arguing tougher sentences are needed to deter serious knife crime
Voting No meant
Oppose the higher sentence in isolation, preferring consistency with other knife possession offences at four years while a broader sentencing review is conducted
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
300
61
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
100
0
16
Liberal Democrats
Whipped Aye
67
0
4
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
28
14
Independent
—
5
3
5
Scottish National Party
—
0
0
9
Reform UK
Whipped Aye
8
0
0
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
4
0
1
Green Party of England and Wales
—
0
1
3
Plaid Cymru
—
0
0
4
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
2
0
Your Party
—
1
1
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
Government minister defending the Bill's measures to tackle crime, antisocial behaviour, and violence against women and girls; arguing the Bill provides essential powers to address gaps in law and protect vulnerable people including emergency workers and children.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (6,557 words) →
Shadow minister welcoming much of the Bill but arguing for stronger measures including increasing knife crime sentencing to 14 years, implementing driving licence penalty points for fly-tippers, and strengthening respect orders with enhanced sanctions.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,618 words) →
Backbencher supporting mandatory reporting but arguing the Bill does not go far enough; specifically advocating for criminal sanctions for non-compliance, extending the duty to all positions of trust as defined in Sexual Offences Act 2003, and broadening triggers to include recognised indicators of abuse.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,957 words) →
Warning against treating the Crime Bill as a 'Christmas tree' for unrelated amendments, particularly those on abortion law, which risk fracturing cross-party consensus and require separate, fuller debate.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (532 words) →
Raising concerns about police funding adequacy, particularly questioning whether national insurance cost increases are properly funded and whether neighbourhood policing numbers represent genuine increases or redeployments.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,375 words) →
Supporting the Bill's measures on neighbourhood policing, begging, and homelessness exploitation; praising new police officers in constituency and defending government record on police staffing.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (208 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0