Finance (No. 2) Bill: Reasoned Amendment to Second Reading (Opposition)

Tuesday, 16 December 2025 · Division No. 393 · Commons

118Ayes

–

340Noes

Defeated

190 MPs did not vote

rightGovernment defeatedAnti Inheritance Tax Reform(Yes)Pro Family Farm Protection(Yes)Pro Public Services Funding(No)Anti Austerity(No)

Voting Yes means

Support blocking the Finance Bill, arguing the Budget's tax changes are harmful — particularly the inheritance tax reforms that critics say threaten family farms and reduce private sector investment

Voting No means

Support the Finance Bill and Labour's Budget choices, arguing they build strong economic foundations, avoid austerity, and protect public services without cutting capital spending

Finance (No. 2) Bill: Reasoned Amendment to Second Reading Division 2222, 16 December 2025

What happened: The House of Commons voted on a Conservative-led reasoned amendment (a formal motion rejecting a bill before detailed debate begins) to block Labour's Finance (No. 2) Bill at its Second Reading. The amendment argued that the Bill was fundamentally flawed and that Labour's tax and spending plans were harmful. The motion was defeated by 340 votes to 118, allowing the Finance Bill to proceed to further parliamentary scrutiny.

Why it matters: The Finance (No. 2) Bill is the legislation that gives legal effect to the government's budget decisions, including tax changes and spending commitments. Defeating this amendment means those measures can continue their passage through Parliament. Had the amendment succeeded, it would have been a major political blow to the government, potentially halting the entire legislative package underpinning the autumn budget. The bill affects taxpayers, businesses, and public services across the United Kingdom.

The politics: The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. All 300 Labour MPs and all 36 Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted opposed the amendment. Conservative MPs voted unanimously in favour, joined by Reform UK, the Democratic Unionist Party, the Traditional Unionist Voice, and the Ulster Unionist Party. Three independents voted with the opposition and three with the government. Notably, the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru did not register votes in either direction, suggesting abstention rather than active support for either position. The Bill subsequently passed its Third Reading on 11 March 2026 by 292 votes to 161, indicating it completed its Commons passage despite sustained opposition pressure at later stages.