Bus Services (No.2) Bill Report Stage: New Clause 2

What happened: On 10 September 2025, the House of Commons voted on New Clause 2 to the Bus Services (No.2) Bill at Report Stage (the stage where MPs can propose further changes to a bill after it has been examined in committee). The new clause would have added entirely new provisions to the legislation on bus service regulation, going beyond the government's existing framework. The motion was defeated by 300 votes to 69.

Why it matters: The defeat means the Bus Services (No.2) Bill will continue without the additional regulatory provisions that New Clause 2 would have introduced. The government's original framework for bus service regulation remains intact. The bill affects how bus services across England are commissioned, controlled, and run, with implications for passengers, local authorities, and bus operators. New Clause 2 represented an attempt to strengthen or expand the regulatory scope of the legislation, and its rejection keeps the bill closer to the government's preferred model.

The politics: The vote exposed a clear divide between the governing Labour bloc and smaller opposition parties. Liberal Democrats voted 61 to 0 in favour of the new clause, providing the overwhelming majority of Aye votes, with the Greens, Reform UK, and a scattering of other smaller parties also voting Aye. Labour and its Co-operative Party allies voted almost unanimously against, supplying all 300 No votes. Notably, the Conservatives, despite being the largest opposition party, were almost entirely absent from this vote, with only 2 voting Aye and 114 absent. This division sits within a broader pattern of transport legislation activity in late 2025, with Report Stage amendments on the same bill on the same day also being defeated, and the Railways Bill receiving its Second Reading in December 2025.