Football Governance Bill [HL]: Third Reading

Parliament voted on 8 July 2025 to pass the Football Governance Bill at its Third Reading in the House of Commons, with 415 MPs voting in favour and 98 voting against. Third Reading is the final stage a bill passes through in the Commons before it moves on for Royal Assent, meaning this vote effectively confirmed the bill's passage into law. The result was a clear and decisive majority for the government's position.

The bill creates an Independent Football Regulator for English football, with powers to oversee the financial sustainability of clubs, strengthen fan engagement requirements, and intervene where the governance of clubs falls short. In practical terms, this means professional football clubs in England will face external oversight for the first time, covering areas such as owners and directors tests, financial controls, and obligations to supporters. The legislation is intended to prevent a repeat of high-profile club collapses, such as those seen at Bury and Macclesfield, and to block any future attempt to create a closed super league breakaway competition.

The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. Labour and its Co-operative Party allies provided the overwhelming bulk of the 415 Ayes, joined unanimously by the Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, and the Green Party. All 85 Conservative MPs who voted did so against the bill, joined by all six Reform UK MPs who participated and all four Democratic Unionist Party members who voted. There were no Conservative Aye votes and no Labour No votes. The bill's parliamentary journey included the defeat of several opposition amendments at Report Stage on the same day, including attempts to alter or restrict the regulator's remit, and a reasoned amendment opposing the bill entirely at Second Reading in April 2025, which was rejected by 337 votes to 74.