Government Amendment to Opposition day debate on seasonal work
320Ayes
98Noes
Carried · majority 222 · Government won232 did not vote
650 Members · Aye 320 · No 98 · DNV 232 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
On 10 December 2025, the House of Commons voted on a government amendment to an opposition day motion on seasonal agricultural work. The amendment passed by 320 votes to 98. Opposition day motions are debates on topics chosen by the opposition, and governments frequently move amendments to rewrite the motion's conclusions rather than allow it to pass unamended. The vote determines the precise terms in which Parliament expressed its view on seasonal agricultural work and the schemes that supply labour to farms, orchards, and other seasonal employers. A government amendment typically removes or alters the critical conclusions of an opposition motion, meaning the version that passed reflects the government's preferred framing rather than the opposition's. The practical effect is that Parliament endorsed the government's position on seasonal work policy rather than the opposition's critique of it. Labour and its Co-operative partners voted entirely in favour of the amendment, providing 314 of the 320 aye votes. Conservatives voted 91 to nil against, supporting the original opposition motion over the government's rewrite. Two Reform UK MPs and one Democratic Unionist Party MP also voted against the amendment. Five independents voted aye and three voted against. On the same day, a companion vote on the unamended opposition motion fell by 98 votes to 325, confirming the government's amendment succeeded in replacing the original text entirely.
Voting Aye meant
Support the government's amended version of the motion on seasonal work, accepting its framing over the opposition's original text
Voting No meant
Prefer the original opposition motion on seasonal work, rejecting the government's attempt to reframe or water down its conclusions
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
281
0
80
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped No
0
91
25
Liberal Democrats
—
0
0
71
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped Aye
33
0
9
Independent
—
5
3
5
Scottish National Party
—
0
0
9
Reform UK
—
0
2
6
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
—
0
1
4
Green Party of England and Wales
—
0
0
4
Plaid Cymru
—
0
0
4
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
0
2
Your Party
—
0
0
2
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
0
1
Restore Britain
—
0
1
0
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
0
0
1
Ulster Unionist Party
—
0
0
1
Source · Hansard · UK Parliament Votes API · whip status from announced positions; “free vote” indicates the whip was formally removed
Government policies on NI, business rates and the Employment Rights Bill are destroying seasonal and flexible work, particularly harming young people and hospitality sector; Conservatives offer pro-business alternative including abolishing business rates.Conservative · Voted no · Read full speech (4,660 words) →
Government recognises challenges facing businesses; Budget provides £4 billion business rates relief with permanent cuts for hospitality; Employment Rights Bill improves worker security without destroying seasonal work; Government is putting money into people's pockets to drive footfall.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (2,566 words) →
Welcome Employment Rights Bill principles but pushed for improvements; support 5% VAT cut for hospitality; business rates system needs complete overhaul; concerned about NI impacts on small businesses; call for youth mobility scheme and skills reform.Liberal Democrat · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (2,915 words) →
Employment Rights Bill essential to make work pay; drew on personal hospitality experience to defend worker protections; Government minimum wage increases benefit young workers; opposed Conservative calls to freeze wages.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (2,358 words) →
Fundamental difference in philosophy: Conservatives recognise private sector creates jobs and wealth; Labour incorrectly believe Government creates jobs; problem is lack of business experience in Cabinet, particularly HR experience of small businesses with fewer than 10 employees.Conservative · Voted no · Read full speech (492 words) →
Tourism tax is hypocritical given Government's earlier claim sector was 'taxed enough'; young people leaving UK due to job prospects; wealth creators and top earners also leaving due to tax policies.Conservative · Voted no · Read full speech (2,381 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0