Draft Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025

What happened: On 14 January 2026, the House of Commons voted to approve the Draft Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025. The regulations passed by 301 votes to 110. The vote confirms new rules that strengthen criminal penalties for protesters or others who interfere with the operation of critical national infrastructure, such as power stations, fuel pipelines, and transport networks.

Why it matters: The regulations expand the practical reach of the Public Order Act 2023 by specifying which sites and systems count as "key national infrastructure" for the purposes of the interference offence. Anyone convicted under this provision faces a maximum sentence of twelve months in prison, a fine, or both. In practical terms, this means protest tactics such as blocking fuel terminals, disrupting rail lines, or occupying energy facilities carry heavier legal consequences than ordinary obstruction or trespass offences. The rules affect environmental and infrastructure protest movements in particular, while supporters argue they protect vital services that the public depends on daily.

The politics: The vote divided sharply along party lines, with the Labour government and its Co-operative Party allies providing almost all of the 301 ayes. The Liberal Democrats, Greens, Plaid Cymru, and most independents voted no, as did a small number of Labour and Labour-Co-operative members who broke with their own whip. Reform UK, despite its generally tough-on-crime positioning, also voted against. The Conservatives were notable chiefly for their near-total absence, with 114 of their MPs not voting and only two casting noes. The vote sits alongside a broader pattern of the current Parliament legislating on public order and sentencing, as seen in a series of related divisions on the Victims and Courts Bill in March 2026.