Crime and Policing Bill: Motion relating to Lords Reason 342B

**What happened:** The House of Commons voted on 20 April 2026 to agree with a motion relating to Lords Reason 342B in the Crime and Policing Bill, passing it by 294 votes to 61. This vote was part of a parliamentary back-and-forth known as "ping-pong," in which the Commons and Lords exchange amendments until both chambers reach agreement. The government's position carried comfortably, supported overwhelmingly by Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs, with one independent voting in favour. **Why it matters:** This division formed part of the final legislative shaping of the Crime and Policing Bill, a wide-ranging piece of legislation covering policing powers, criminal justice reform, and police accountability. By passing this motion, the Commons maintained its position against the Lords' reasoning on a specific clause, advancing the government's preferred version of the Bill toward Royal Assent. The outcome has practical consequences for how policing and accountability provisions will operate once the legislation comes into force. **The politics:** The vote divided almost entirely along government-versus-opposition lines. All 293 Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted backed the government, while the Liberal Democrats provided the bulk of opposition with 55 votes against. The Greens and Plaid Cymru also voted against, and one Conservative voted in the No lobby. The Conservatives were largely absent, as were the SNP and DUP. This pattern was consistent across several other Crime and Policing Bill divisions held on the same day, reflecting a sustained opposition from smaller parties and near-total government unity.