Bus Services (No.2) Bill Report Stage: Amendment 10

What happened: The House of Commons voted on Amendment 10 to the Bus Services (No.2) Bill at Report Stage on 10 September 2025. The amendment was defeated by 300 votes to 153. Report Stage is the point in the legislative process where the full House of Commons considers proposed changes to a bill that has already passed through committee scrutiny.

Why it matters: The Bus Services (No.2) Bill forms part of the government's approach to reforming how bus services are run in England. Amendment 10 sought to modify aspects of that legislation, with its proponents arguing for a more balanced approach to reform and greater stakeholder consultation. Its defeat means the government's original proposals remain intact on this point, preserving the direction ministers had set for restructuring bus services, which affects millions of passengers who rely on local bus networks across the country.

The politics: The vote divided largely along government-versus-opposition lines. All Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted backed the government by opposing the amendment. Support for the amendment came from Conservatives (85 votes), Liberal Democrats (61), and smaller numbers from Reform UK (4), the Green Party (3), one Independent, and one DUP member. This cross-party opposition coalition, while broader than some other amendments on the same day, was not sufficient to overcome the government's majority. The amendment attracted notably more support than other amendments voted on the same day, such as Amendment 58 (92 ayes) and New Clause 2 (69 ayes), suggesting it touched on concerns with wider cross-party resonance.