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

Division 2222, 16 December 2025 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. 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 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.