Sentencing Bill Committee: New Clause 6

Tuesday, 21 October 2025 · Division No. 322 · Commons

167Ayes

–

313Noes

Defeated

168 MPs did not vote

rightGovernment defeatedTough On Crime(Yes)Pro Custodial Sentencing(Yes)Anti Early Release(Yes)Pro Sentencing Reform(No)

Voting Yes means

Support adding restrictions to the Sentencing Bill's suspended sentence reforms, ensuring repeat offenders convicted of the same offence cannot receive a mandatory suspended sentence in place of immediate custody

Voting No means

Reject the amendment, backing the Government's Sentencing Bill as drafted and opposing Conservative-led attempts to carve out repeat offenders from the suspended sentence presumption

What happened

On 21 October 2025, the House of Commons voted on New Clause 6, an opposition amendment to the Sentencing Bill at committee stage. The clause sought to add additional provisions to the government's sentencing reforms, with supporters arguing it would strengthen or modify the existing framework. The amendment was defeated by 313 votes to 167.

Why it matters

The defeat means the Sentencing Bill will continue through Parliament without the additional provisions proposed in New Clause 6. The government's original structure for sentencing reform remains intact at this stage. The vote reflects ongoing tension between the government and opposition parties over the scope and content of changes to the sentencing framework, which affects how courts in England and Wales determine punishments for criminal offences.

The politics

The division followed strict party lines. All 277 Labour MPs and 26 Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted opposed the clause, while all 89 Conservative MPs and all 64 Liberal Democrats who voted supported it. Plaid Cymru and Reform UK also backed the amendment. The Democratic Unionist Party, Ulster Unionist Party, and Traditional Unionist Voice voted against. Eight independents supported the clause and two opposed it. The result reflects a broader pattern visible in related divisions on the Sentencing Bill at report stage in late October 2025, where similar opposition amendments were consistently defeated by comparable margins, suggesting the government held firm discipline throughout the bill's scrutiny.