Sentencing Bill Committee: Amendment 46

What happened: The House of Commons voted on Amendment 46 to the Sentencing Bill at committee stage on 21 October 2025. The amendment was defeated by 381 votes to 105. The amendment was tabled by Conservative MPs and attracted support from the Democratic Unionist Party, Reform UK, the Ulster Unionist Party, Traditional Unionist Voice, and several independent members, but was opposed by Labour, the Labour and Co-operative Party, the Liberal Democrats, and the Green Party.

Why it matters: The Sentencing Bill represents a significant piece of criminal justice legislation, and this amendment sought to alter its sentencing or prison-related provisions in a direction broadly characterised as more punitive or restrictive compared to the government's approach. Its defeat means the government's preferred framework for sentencing reform remains intact at this stage. The outcome affects how courts sentence offenders and how the prison system operates going forward, with practical implications for prison populations, rehabilitation programmes, and public safety outcomes across England and Wales.

The politics: The vote produced an unusual cross-party alignment, with Conservatives, the DUP, Reform UK, and smaller unionist parties voting together in favour of the amendment against the government. Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the Greens held a firm opposing bloc, reflecting the government's commanding majority. No Labour or Liberal Democrat MPs broke ranks. The amendment's defeat is consistent with a pattern visible in related votes during the Sentencing Bill's passage, where government-backed positions have consistently prevailed by wide margins, and it sets the stage for further contested divisions at report stage later in October 2025.