English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: Amendment 85

What happened: On 24 November 2025, the House of Commons voted on Amendment 85 to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill during its Report Stage (the stage at which MPs debate and vote on proposed changes to a bill after it has been examined in detail by a committee). The amendment was defeated by 309 votes to 57, a margin of 252 votes.

Why it matters: The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill aims to transfer significant powers from central government to regional mayors and combined authorities across England, covering areas such as planning, transport, housing, skills and economic development. Amendment 85 sought to change aspects of how those devolved powers would be implemented. Its defeat means the government's preferred approach to English devolution remains intact, with no modification from this amendment. The bill affects local councils, mayors, businesses and communities across England, particularly those areas subject to local government reorganisation and new mayoral structures.

The politics: The amendment was supported almost entirely by the Liberal Democrats, who provided 58 of the 57 recorded Ayes (with one Independent also voting in favour). Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs voted unanimously against, providing 303 of the 309 Noes. The Conservatives, despite being the official opposition, were entirely absent from this division, recording 116 abstentions. This reflects a broader pattern across the Report Stage, in which the Liberal Democrats positioned themselves as the primary parliamentary challengers to specific provisions of the bill, while the Conservatives largely stood aside. The bill continued to face criticism from Conservative members in debate, who argued it represented centralisation rather than genuine devolution.