English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: New Clause 29

New Clause 29 to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill was defeated on 24 November 2025 by 311 votes to 74. The clause, proposed by Green MP Siân Berry, would have placed a statutory duty on newly created regional mayors to support the principles of the Climate Change Act 2008 and agree a fair contribution to national carbon targets. The vote matters because it determines whether new English regional mayors will face a legal obligation to act on climate as a condition of their role. The Climate Change Committee has identified a gap between national ambition and local delivery, and the Local Government Association had called for that gap to be closed through this Bill. Without the clause, there is no statutory requirement for mayors to align their decisions with net zero targets, though the government indicated it views the Bill as a floor on ambition rather than a ceiling, and suggested refinements could be made when the Bill reaches the House of Lords. The Liberal Democrats voted unanimously for the clause, providing 58 of the 74 ayes, alongside all three Green MPs and five independents. The overwhelming majority of no votes came from Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs, with 300 between them voting against. Seven Labour MPs broke ranks to vote aye. The Conservatives were largely absent, with 114 of 116 MPs recording no vote; one voted aye and one voted no. This division was one of several defeats for cross-party amendments during the bill's report stage in late November 2025.