Opposition Day: Tax
165Ayes
342Noes
Defeated · majority 177 · Government won140 did not vote
647 Members · Aye 165 · No 342 · DNV 140 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
On 15 July 2025, the House of Commons voted on an opposition day motion on tax brought by the Conservative Party. The motion was defeated by 342 votes to 165. Opposition day motions do not change the law but give the opposition the right to set the agenda for debate and force the government to vote on a position of the opposition's choosing. The motion put the government on record rejecting the Conservative position on tax policy. Opposition day motions of this kind are a standard parliamentary tool, and governments of all parties almost always vote them down regardless of their content. The practical effect is therefore limited, but the debate and the vote create a public record of where parties stand on taxation, including issues such as employer National Insurance contributions and fiscal drag. The vote divided sharply along party lines. All 303 Labour MPs and 33 Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted opposed the motion, while all 92 voting Conservatives, all 61 Liberal Democrats, and all 5 Democratic Unionist Party members who voted supported it. Four Reform UK MPs voted with the Ayes. There were no cross-party rebels of note. The Liberal Democrats voting with the Conservatives is consistent with their use of opposition days to register disagreement with government economic policy, though this does not indicate broader political alignment between the two parties.
Voting Aye meant
Support the Conservative opposition's position on tax — likely calling for tax cuts or opposing recent Labour tax increases such as the employer National Insurance rise or fiscal drag.
Voting No meant
Reject the opposition's tax motion, defending the government's tax policy as necessary to fund public services and stabilise public finances.
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
303
58
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
92
0
24
Liberal Democrats
Whipped Aye
60
0
11
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
33
9
Independent
—
3
3
7
Scottish National Party
—
0
0
9
Reform UK
Whipped Aye
4
0
4
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
5
0
0
Green Party of England and Wales
—
0
2
2
Plaid Cymru
—
0
0
4
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
The Government has broken manifesto commitments by raising taxes on businesses and working people; the £25bn NI rise killed growth and cost families £3,500 in wages; proposed wealth taxes will drive talent abroad.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (3,023 words) →
The Government inherited a £22bn black hole and used tax changes fairly to stabilise finances and invest in public services; tax measures protect working people's pay slips while making the system fairer.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,914 words) →
The employer NI jobs tax is unfair and damages businesses; the Government should pursue growth through better trade deals and fair tax reforms on corporations and the wealthy rather than hitting small businesses.Liberal Democrat · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,623 words) →
The Conservatives left public finances in a shocking state; tax rises were necessary to invest in NHS, schools and security; the Opposition offers only wishful thinking with no credible plan.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,201 words) →
The Government is destroying the economy through excessive taxation that drives wealth creators away; the farming tax and broader tax assault are terrifying; we are heading towards 1970s-style economic crisis.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,891 words) →
The tax system was unfair; Labour's changes ensure the wealthy pay their share; the Government should further reform tax reliefs and consider a flat-rate pension relief model.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (2,336 words) →
The previous Conservative Government took difficult decisions to bring taxes down for growth; Labour has failed to control welfare spending, creating an unfunded commitment and deteriorating public finances.Conservative · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (97 words) →
The Conservatives inherited the worst economic conditions since WWII with 10% deficit; they tanked the economy; Labour is fixing the mess through responsible fiscal management and investment.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,451 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0