Crime and Policing Bill Report Stage: New Clause 130

What happened: The House of Commons voted on 18 June 2025 on whether to add New Clause 130 to the Crime and Policing Bill during its Report Stage (the stage at which MPs debate and vote on proposed changes to a bill after committee scrutiny). The clause was defeated by 313 votes to 178. The opposition parties united behind the amendment, with Conservatives (94 ayes), Liberal Democrats (60 ayes), Reform UK (7 ayes), the Greens (4 ayes), Plaid Cymru (3 ayes), the Democratic Unionist Party (2 ayes), and a number of independents (9 ayes) all voting in favour. Every Labour and Labour and Co-operative MP who voted went against the clause.

Why it matters: New Clause 130 proposed modifications to criminal justice or policing policy that the government judged inconsistent with its own approach to the Crime and Policing Bill. Its defeat means the Bill continues on its original trajectory without the changes the opposition sought, preserving the government's legislative design. The clause was framed by supporters as advancing criminal justice reform or police accountability, while the government and its parliamentary majority argued the existing bill was the appropriate vehicle for its policing agenda. The practical effect is that whatever specific powers, duties, or safeguards the clause would have introduced will not form part of the legislation at this stage.

The politics: The vote split almost entirely along government-versus-opposition lines, with no Labour rebels and no Conservative, Liberal Democrat, or Reform UK MPs voting with the government. This degree of cross-opposition unity is notable, bringing together parties that rarely act in concert, from the centre-left Greens and Plaid Cymru to the right-of-centre Conservatives and Reform UK. The Crime and Policing Bill sits within a broader legislative moment in which the government is also advancing the Sentencing Bill (which passed its Second Reading in September 2025 by 340 to 77) and navigating a series of criminal justice votes. The comfortable government majority of 135 votes ensured defeat of the clause with some ease, reflecting the strength of Labour's position in this Parliament even when facing united opposition.