Pension Schemes Bill: Amendment 15
154Ayes
303Noes
Defeated · majority 149 · Government won189 did not vote
646 Members · Aye 154 · No 303 · DNV 189 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
Parliament voted on 3 December 2025 on Amendment 15 to the Pension Schemes Bill, one of a package of amendments tabled by Conservative MPs at Report Stage (the detailed scrutiny stage before a bill moves to the Lords). The amendment was defeated by 303 votes to 154. The detailed content of Amendment 15 is not fully set out in the available record. The Hansard extracts show it was debated alongside new clauses 24 and 25 and amendments 14 and 16, all tabled by Conservative MPs James Wild and others, as part of a broader opposition package. Conservative speakers indicated their core concern was pensions adequacy, citing research from Pensions UK suggesting more than half of savers will not meet an adequate income in retirement. The government's position was to reject the amendment and proceed with its own version of the Bill. The vote divided sharply along party lines. All 273 Labour MPs and 25 Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted did so against the amendment. Every Conservative who voted, 75 in total, supported it, joined by all 61 Liberal Democrats who voted, 6 Reform UK MPs, 5 SNP MPs, 4 Plaid Cymru MPs, 2 DUP MPs, and 2 independents. There were no notable cross-party rebels on either side.
Voting Aye meant
Support the Conservative amendment to the Pension Schemes Bill, part of a package of changes tabled by the opposition during Report Stage
Voting No meant
Reject the Conservative amendment, backing the government's version of the Bill as introduced
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 No
0
273
88
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
75
0
41
Liberal Democrats
Whipped Aye
60
0
11
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
25
17
Independent
—
3
5
5
Scottish National Party
Whipped Aye
5
0
4
Reform UK
Whipped Aye
6
0
2
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
—
2
0
3
Green Party of England and Wales
—
0
0
4
Plaid Cymru
Whipped Aye
4
0
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
0
1
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
Supports Bill as foundation for pension returns; announces prospective CPI-linked indexation (capped 2.5%) for PPF/FAS pre-1997 service and promises statutory guidance on trustee investment duties rather than primary legislation changes.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (17,722 words) →
Supports many Bill measures for pension accessibility but criticises that it fails to address pension adequacy; over 50% of savers will miss retirement income targets; proposes five-year review requirement via new clause 25.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,224 words) →
Welcomes PPF improvements but expresses concern that AEA Technology pension campaigners lack redress route despite NAO/Select Committee reports; urges reconsideration of new clause 1.Labour · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (105 words) →
Notes ExxonMobil private DB scheme pensioners feel discriminated against as they gain no benefit from FAS/PPF indexation improvements; questions whether trustees have sufficient leverage against foreign-headquartered employers.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (345 words) →
Expresses scepticism about whether surplus release changes will actually force companies like 3M and Hewlett Packard to provide index-linked rises; seeks meeting to understand available mechanisms.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,877 words) →
Welcomes Chancellor's Budget announcement on pensions; praises government action after decades of Conservative delay; seeks confirmation of benefit amounts from indexation changes.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (82 words) →
Seeks reassurance for Surrey Heath constituents working for large US firms whose pensions fall outside PPF/FAS and receive no pre-1997 uplift.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (168 words) →
Welcomes trustee guidance proposal but requests clear timeline and roadmap for consultation and resulting primary/secondary legislation.SNP · Voted aye · Read full speech (3,621 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0