Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill Remaining Stages: New Clause 5
78Ayes
316Noes
Defeated · majority 238 · Government won254 did not vote
648 Members · Aye 78 · No 316 · DNV 254 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
Parliament voted on 15 October 2025 on New Clause 5 to the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill, proposed by Liberal Democrat MP Edward Morello. The clause would have added accountability and transparency requirements to the Bill, focused on ensuring that the transition to sustainable aviation fuel was subject to greater reporting obligations. The House rejected the new clause by 316 votes to 78, with the government opposing it. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill is primarily a financial mechanism: it establishes revenue certainty contracts to support the construction of commercial-scale SAF production plants in the UK, funded through a levy on aviation fuel suppliers. New Clause 5 sought to layer additional accountability on top of that framework. The government argued that reporting and review mechanisms already exist within the separate SAF mandate legislation, making the new clause unnecessary. Its defeat means the Bill proceeds without the additional transparency requirements Morello proposed. The vote divided sharply along party lines. The Liberal Democrats provided almost all of the 78 ayes, with all 60 of their voting members supporting the clause, joined by Plaid Cymru, the SNP, most Independents, the Greens, and one Labour MP. Labour and the Labour and Co-operative Party provided the bulk of the 316 noes, voting in line with the government position. On the same day, two Conservative-tabled amendments to the Bill, Amendments 8 and 9, were also defeated by similar margins, suggesting consistent government resistance to changes at this stage.
Voting Aye meant
Support stronger accountability and reporting requirements on sustainable aviation fuel producers to ensure transparency and ambition in decarbonising aviation
Voting No meant
Oppose the new clause as unnecessary duplication of reporting mechanisms already embedded in the SAF mandate, preferring not to add extra burdens on industry
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
1
279
81
Conservative and Unionist Party
—
0
0
116
Liberal Democrats
Whipped Aye
59
0
12
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
32
10
Independent
—
6
3
4
Scottish National Party
Whipped Aye
4
0
5
Reform UK
—
0
0
8
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
—
1
0
4
Green Party of England and Wales
—
2
0
2
Plaid Cymru
Whipped Aye
4
0
0
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
1
1
Your Party
—
2
0
0
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
Supports new clauses 1-5 to strengthen SAF targets, reporting, and accountability; criticises EU outpacing UK with 32% vs 22% target by 2040; urges clauses requiring conversion of disused refineries and bioethanol supply assessment.Liberal Democrat · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,222 words) →
Backs amendments 8-11 requiring cost transparency on passenger fares, standardised levy on invoices, and prioritisation of UK technology; opposes new clause 1 but supports power-to-liquid focus; emphasises consumer protection and practical implementation.Conservative · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (2,454 words) →
Advocates for public ownership and government investment to re-industrialise Grangemouth following Petroineos refinery closure; calls for government-led industrial strategy rather than relying on private capital.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (896 words) →
Supports new clause 2 on bioethanol supply assessment; argues SAF targets are unrealistic given 90% import dependency on China and Vivergo plant closure; criticises Heathrow expansion relying on unproven SAF deployment.Liberal Democrat · Voted aye · Read full speech (470 words) →
Opposes new clause 1; defends government flexibility on SAF technology deployment; warns against oversimplifying fuel pathways and overly burdensome reporting that could drive airlines away from SAF.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,026 words) →
Strongly supportive of Bill and new clauses 1-7; emphasises aviation's 2.5% global emissions share and SAF's 70% lifecycle emissions reduction; backs innovation in zero-carbon alternatives and employment growth projections.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (354 words) →
Tables new clause 7 and amendment 12 prioritising power-to-liquid SAF; argues PTL is cleanest option without food/environmental trade-offs; calls for revenue certainty contracts to de-risk first-mover projects by 2026.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,123 words) →
Strongly opposed; argues SAF is unaffordable (requiring $19-45bn globally), will massively raise passenger costs, and diverts resources from more efficient engine/airframe improvements; supports new clause 6 economic impact assessment.SNP · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (1,060 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0