Sustainable Aviation Fuel Remaining Stages: Amendment 9
160Ayes
324Noes
Defeated · majority 164 · Government won168 did not vote
652 Members · Aye 160 · No 324 · DNV 168 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
On 15 October 2025, MPs voted on Amendment 9 to the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill, a Conservative amendment that would have required the designated government-owned counterparty to report on the impact of the revenue certainty mechanism on passenger air fares. The amendment was defeated by 324 votes to 160. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill establishes a mechanism to guarantee a strike price for eligible sustainable aviation fuel produced at new commercial-scale plants in the UK, funded by a levy on aviation fuel suppliers. Amendment 9 would have created a formal reporting obligation on how that levy-funded mechanism affects what passengers pay for flights. Supporters argued this was necessary to hold the Government to account over its repeated claim that the Bill would move fares by no more than £1.50 either way. Opponents argued existing scrutiny was sufficient and the cost impact was already well understood. The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. All 314 Labour and Labour-Co-operative MPs who voted did so against the amendment, while all 87 voting Conservatives and all 59 voting Liberal Democrats supported it, alongside Plaid Cymru, the SNP, and most voting independents. The result mirrors the earlier defeat of the related Amendment 8, which fell by 319 votes to 151 on the same day, suggesting a consistent cross-opposition coalition in favour of stronger passenger cost reporting that the Government's parliamentary majority was able to defeat.
Voting Aye meant
Support requiring the Government to monitor and report on the effect of the SAF revenue mechanism on passenger air fares, holding ministers to account over their cost claims
Voting No meant
Oppose the reporting requirement, arguing existing scrutiny mechanisms are sufficient and the cost impact on passengers is already well understood
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
282
79
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
87
0
29
Liberal Democrats
Whipped Aye
58
0
13
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
32
10
Independent
—
4
3
6
Scottish National Party
Whipped Aye
3
0
6
Reform UK
—
1
0
7
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
—
1
0
4
Green Party of England and Wales
—
0
2
2
Plaid Cymru
Whipped Aye
4
0
0
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
1
1
Your Party
—
1
1
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 aye · 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 no_vote_recorded · 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 aye · 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