Representation of the People Bill: Reasoned Amendment

Monday, 2 March 2026 · Division No. 435 · Commons

105Ayes

–

410Noes

Defeated

134 MPs did not vote

Electoral Reform Constitution and Democracy

rightGovernment defeatedVotes At 16(No)Pro Electoral Reform(No)Anti Electoral Reform(Yes)Pro Franchise Expansion(No)

Voting Yes means

Support blocking the Representation of the People Bill, opposing measures such as votes at 16 and other electoral reforms proposed by the Labour government

Voting No means

Support allowing the Bill to proceed, backing Labour's electoral reforms including extending the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds

What happened: On 2 March 2026, the House of Commons voted on a reasoned amendment (a formal motion to block a bill at its second reading stage by stating objections to its principles) to the Representation of the People Bill. The amendment sought to prevent the bill from proceeding any further through Parliament, on the grounds that the electoral reform proposals it contains are flawed or unnecessary. The amendment was defeated by 410 votes to 105, meaning the bill was allowed to continue to the next stage of parliamentary scrutiny.

Why it matters: The defeat of the amendment clears the way for the Representation of the People Bill to proceed to detailed examination in committee. Media coverage of the bill indicates it contains significant electoral reforms, including an expansion of the types of photo identification accepted for voting -- a reversal of the direction of the voter ID rules introduced in recent years -- and changes to voting systems for mayoral elections away from first-past-the-post. These changes would directly affect how millions of people participate in elections across England and Wales, with implications for voter access, party competition, and the broader architecture of British democracy.

The politics: The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. All 97 Conservative MPs who voted supported the amendment, joined by all 6 Reform UK MPs who voted, 2 Democratic Unionist Party members, and 1 independent -- forming a right-leaning bloc of 105. Against the amendment were 298 Labour MPs, 57 Liberal Democrats, 33 Labour and Co-operative MPs, 7 Scottish National Party members, 4 Greens, 2 Plaid Cymru members, and 6 independents. There were no rebels on any side. The result reflects the government's commanding majority and the broad support for the bill among opposition parties to Labour's left, though the vote also took place against a backdrop of wider public debate about electoral reform and the fragmentation of British party politics.

How They Voted

Government position: No

Labour PartyWhipped No

0 Aye/298 No

Conservative and Unionist PartyWhipped Aye

97 Aye/0 No

Liberal DemocratsWhipped No

0 Aye/57 No

Labour and Co-operative PartyWhipped No

0 Aye/33 No

Independent

1 Aye/6 No

Scottish National PartyWhipped No

0 Aye/7 No

Reform UKWhipped Aye

6 Aye/0 No

Green Party of England and WalesWhipped No

0 Aye/4 No

Democratic Unionist Party

2 Aye/0 No

Plaid Cymru

0 Aye/2 No

Social Democratic and Labour Party

0 Aye/1 No

Traditional Unionist Voice

1 Aye/0 No

Your Party

0 Aye/1 No

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