Budget Resolution No. 9: Basic rate limit and personal allowance for tax years 2028-29 to 2030-31
348Ayes
176Noes
Carried · majority 172 · Government won124 did not vote
648 Members · Aye 348 · No 176 · DNV 124 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
MPs voted on 2 December 2025 to extend the freeze on income tax thresholds for a further two years, keeping the basic rate limit and personal allowance at their current levels until 2030-31. The resolution passed by 348 votes to 176, with Labour and Labour and Co-operative Party MPs providing all of the government's majority. The freeze means income tax thresholds will not rise in line with wages or inflation for two more years than previously planned. As earnings grow, more taxpayers will be pulled into higher tax bands without any change to the headline rates, a process sometimes called fiscal drag. The measure raises additional income tax revenue as part of the government's broader fiscal consolidation strategy, but it reduces the take-home pay of working people in real terms. Labour and its Co-operative partners voted unanimously in favour, while Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, the Democratic Unionist Party, Plaid Cymru, the Greens, and Traditional Unionist Voice all voted against. There were no notable rebels on either side. The opposition parties, despite their differing views on tax policy more broadly, united in opposing a measure they characterised as a prolonged stealth tax on workers.
Voting Aye meant
Support extending the freeze on income tax thresholds to 2030-31, accepting the resulting stealth tax increase as part of fiscal consolidation
Voting No meant
Oppose the continued freeze on income tax thresholds, arguing it amounts to a prolonged stealth tax on workers by dragging more earners into higher bands
Each row is one party. The stacked bar gives the within-party split of Aye / No / Absent; the columns on the right give the raw counts. The whip column shows the published party position — “Free vote” means the whip was formally removed for this division.
Party
Whip
Aye / No / Abs
Aye
No
Abs
Labour Party
Whipped Aye
307
0
54
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped No
0
88
28
Liberal Democrats
Whipped No
0
59
12
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped Aye
38
0
4
Independent
—
3
7
3
Scottish National Party
—
0
0
9
Reform UK
Whipped No
0
8
0
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
Whipped No
0
5
0
Green Party of England and Wales
Whipped No
0
3
1
Plaid Cymru
Whipped No
0
4
0
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
0
2
Your Party
—
0
1
1
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
0
1
Restore Britain
—
0
0
1
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
0
1
0
Ulster Unionist Party
—
0
1
0
Source · Hansard · UK Parliament Votes API · whip status from announced positions; “free vote” indicates the whip was formally removed
Budget is morally necessary investment to lift children from poverty, rebuild NHS as public service, and tackle public health crisis; lifting two-child cap is paid for by tax avoidance crackdowns and gambling tax.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (4,668 words) →
Budget is a tax grab on working people without real reform plan; NHS waiting lists falling far too slowly; government failed to resolve strikes and has no credible social care strategy.Conservative · Voted no · Read full speech (2,779 words) →
Budget treads water on NHS; unclear how medicine price increases and reorganisation costs will be paid; calls for EU customs union and better GP access rather than tax rises.Liberal Democrat · Voted no · Read full speech (2,898 words) →
Budget is progressive and fair; lifting two-child cap will reduce child poverty by 500,000; tax reforms on wealthy and investment in employment support are sound policy.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (917 words) →
NHS frontline staff at St Thomas' hospital deserve recognition for managing through strikes; government must prevent further strike action.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (89 words) →
Budget lacks growth measures and imposes stealth taxes on working people; freeze on income tax thresholds and EV tax burden rural constituencies disproportionately.Independent · Voted no · Read full speech (714 words) →
Strongly defends two-child cap removal as moral imperative; criticizes Opposition for opposing child poverty relief despite UK being wealthy nation.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (543 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0