Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill Remaining Stages: New Clause 5

What happened: The House of Commons voted on New Clause 5 to the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill on 15 October 2025, during the bill's remaining stages. The clause, which would have imposed stricter environmental requirements on sustainable aviation fuel production and use, was defeated by 316 votes to 78.

Why it matters: The defeat of New Clause 5 means the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill will proceed without the additional environmental mandates the clause sought to introduce. The bill establishes a framework for mandating the use of sustainable aviation fuel in UK flights, and the rejected clause would have strengthened the environmental conditions attached to that framework. Those who backed the clause argued that without tighter standards, fuel labelled as sustainable may not deliver the climate benefits the policy promises. The outcome leaves the government's preferred, more market-oriented approach intact.

The politics: The vote divided sharply along party lines. The Liberal Democrats provided the largest block of Aye votes with 60, joined by Plaid Cymru, the SNP, the Greens, and most Independent members voting in favour. Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs voted overwhelmingly against, supplying 311 of the 316 No votes. A single Labour MP crossed the floor to vote Aye. This result sits alongside two other defeats on the same day, on Amendments 8 and 9 to the same bill, where opposition and smaller parties similarly failed to tighten the bill's environmental provisions against the government's majority.