Budget Resolution No. 64: Rates of alcohol duty
357Ayes
174Noes
Carried · majority 183 · Government won120 did not vote
651 Members · Aye 357 · No 174 · DNV 120 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
MPs approved Budget Resolution No. 64, setting the rates of alcohol duty as proposed in the October 2025 Budget, by 357 votes to 174 on 2 December 2025. The resolution passed with the support of the Labour and Labour and Co-operative parliamentary parties, together with several independents and the Green Party. The resolution fixes the rates at which tax is levied on beer, wine, spirits and other alcoholic drinks. Approving it advances the government's Budget as a whole; rejecting it would have blocked the proposed duty structure from taking effect. The rates affect both Treasury revenues and the retail price of alcohol for consumers, as well as the costs borne by pub operators, brewers and drinks producers. The Labour benches were almost entirely united, with only one Labour MP voting against and the combined Labour and Labour and Co-operative tally reaching 341 ayes. Every Conservative, Liberal Democrat, SNP, Reform UK, DUP and Plaid Cymru MP who voted opposed the resolution, producing 174 noes. There were no cross-party rebels of note on the government side, making this a straightforward confidence-in-the-Budget-settlement vote along largely partisan lines.
Voting Aye meant
Support the government's proposed alcohol duty rates as set out in the Budget
Voting No meant
Oppose the government's proposed alcohol duty rates, likely arguing they are too high, poorly structured, or economically damaging to the hospitality and drinks industries
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
302
1
58
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped No
0
87
29
Liberal Democrats
Whipped No
0
58
13
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped Aye
39
0
3
Independent
—
6
4
3
Scottish National Party
Whipped No
0
8
1
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 Aye
3
0
1
Plaid Cymru
Whipped No
0
4
0
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
1
0
1
Your Party
—
1
0
1
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
0
1
Restore Britain
—
0
0
1
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
1
0
0
Ulster Unionist Party
—
1
0
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