English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill: Government motion to disagree to Lords Amendment 26

**What happened**: The House of Commons voted on 21 April 2026 to reject Lords Amendment 26 to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, passing the government's motion to disagree by 287 votes to 149. The amendment had been inserted by the House of Lords during that chamber's scrutiny of the Bill, and the Commons vote sends it back to the Lords without that change. **Why it matters**: The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is the central legislative vehicle for the government's programme of transferring powers from Whitehall to regional and local authorities in England. Lords Amendment 26 represented one of several modifications the upper chamber sought to make to the Bill's provisions, and its rejection means the government's original approach to that element of the legislation will be preserved unless the Lords insist on the amendment and trigger further parliamentary exchanges known as "ping-pong." The outcome directly affects how devolved powers, structures, or community rights in England will be framed in law, with implications for councils, combined authorities, and the communities they serve. **The politics**: The vote divided almost entirely along government and opposition lines. All 284 Labour and Labour and Co-operative members who voted supported the government's position, while Conservatives (79), Liberal Democrats (56), Greens (5), and the unionist parties from Northern Ireland voted against. Two independents voted on each side. This division was one of at least five on the same Bill on the same day, with the government winning each by similar margins, suggesting a coordinated effort to clear Lords amendments in a single Commons sitting. The consistent vote tallies across all five divisions indicate firm party discipline on the Labour side, with no recorded rebels.