English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill: Third Reading

What happened

On 25 November 2025, the House of Commons passed the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill at Third Reading by 322 votes to 179. Third Reading is the final stage in the Commons, representing Parliament's last opportunity to approve or reject the complete text of the Bill before it passes to the House of Lords. The result confirmed the government's majority was sufficient to carry the legislation through despite sustained opposition from Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Reform UK and Green MPs.

Why it matters

The Bill establishes a new framework for transferring powers from central government to English regions and local areas. Its provisions cover the creation and expansion of combined authorities with elected mayors, new community rights to buy local assets, reforms to local audit arrangements, national minimum standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, and changes to commercial lease terms. In practical terms, it affects how decisions are made across England about planning, transport, local services and economic development, shifting some of that decision-making away from Westminster and Whitehall toward regional mayors and local councils. It also introduces a community right to bid for assets of community value, touches the governance structures of parish and town councils, and sets new rules for how local authorities are held to account.

The politics

The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. All 315 Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted backed the Bill, while Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Reform UK and the Greens all voted against. The Liberal Democrats' opposition was notable given their stated commitment to localism; their spokesperson argued in debate that the Bill actually concentrates power upward toward combined authority mayors rather than delivering genuine local devolution. Several independent MPs and one DUP member voted with the government. The Bill had faced multiple amendment attempts on Report Stage the same day, all of which were defeated, including proposed new clauses on consent requirements for governance changes, parish council protections, and restrictions on private hire vehicle cross-border licensing. The passage of this Bill sits alongside related votes in early 2026 on local government finance, suggesting a broader legislative programme reshaping English local government that the government has been advancing consistently through this parliamentary session.