Opposition day: Property taxes
98Ayes
335Noes
Defeated · majority 237 · Government won217 did not vote
650 Members · Aye 98 · No 335 · DNV 217 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
On 3 September 2025, the House of Commons voted on an opposition day motion calling for changes to how property is taxed in the United Kingdom. The motion was defeated by 335 votes to 98. Opposition day motions are brought forward by the party out of government and are used to set the terms of debate; they do not carry legislative force but signal where the opposition stands on policy. The motion, if passed, would have expressed parliamentary support for reforming property taxation, with the aye position associated with stances favouring homeowner tax relief and changes to the government's existing approach. The government voted it down, which is standard practice when facing opposition motions. The defeat means no parliamentary pressure is placed on the government to alter its property tax policy through this mechanism. The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. All 295 Labour MPs and 33 Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted backed the government's no position, while 93 of the Conservatives present voted aye, making up the bulk of the opposition. Two Democratic Unionist Party MPs and two Reform UK MPs also voted aye, along with one Liberal Democrat, one Ulster Unionist, and one Independent. The Scottish National Party recorded no votes either way. Twenty-three Conservative MPs had no vote recorded.
Voting Aye meant
Support the opposition's proposed approach to reforming property taxes
Voting No meant
Reject the opposition's motion on property taxation, defending the government's existing approach
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
295
66
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
93
0
23
Liberal Democrats
—
1
0
70
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
33
9
Independent
—
1
3
9
Scottish National Party
—
0
0
9
Reform UK
—
2
0
6
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
—
2
0
3
Green Party of England and Wales
—
0
0
4
Plaid Cymru
—
0
0
4
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
1
1
Your Party
—
0
0
2
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
0
1
Restore Britain
—
0
0
1
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
0
0
1
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
Defended the Government's tax rises as necessary response to Conservative mismanagement; highlighted housing investment and policy improvements under Labour.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (542 words) →
Opposed property tax rises, specifically warning that scrapping private residence relief would impose devastating tax bills on constituents selling family homes.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (522 words) →
Opposed multiple rumoured property taxes as a destructive raid on homeowners, particularly in the south-east; flagged impact on pensioners, farmers, and mobility.Conservative · Voted teller_aye · Read full speech (969 words) →
Attacked Opposition for creating 'straw men' and refusing to outline alternative plans; defended Government's difficult but necessary tax decisions.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (640 words) →
Criticised Government's £70 billion spending increase and resulting borrowing costs; argued that uncertainty over tax rises is stalling the economy.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (964 words) →
Highlighted Conservative legacy of hidden fiscal pressures and pay settlements delayed until after election; defended Government investment in public services.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (898 words) →
Expressed concern about inheritance tax relief changes affecting working farmers in Wales; called for reversal before autumn Budget.Labour · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (593 words) →
Warned that ongoing tax speculation is collapsing business confidence and damaging the economy; urged Government to stop threatening new taxes.Conservative · Voted teller_aye · Read full speech (957 words) →
Argued that Labour loves raising taxes and that speculation about property tax rises is causing market instability and economic stagnation.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (972 words) →
Defended property taxes as essential for public services; emphasised Government's focus on building homes and fiscal responsibility versus Conservative 'fiscal fantasy'.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (2,012 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0