English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill: Government motion to disagree to Lords Amendment 37

**What happened:** The House of Commons voted on 21 April 2026 to reject Lords Amendment 37 to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, passing the government's motion to disagree by 291 votes to 144. The amendment had been inserted into the bill by the House of Lords and was returned to the Commons as part of the parliamentary "ping-pong" process, in which the two chambers exchange amendments until agreement is reached. **Why it matters:** Lords Amendment 37 was one of several amendments the Lords had made to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, a piece of legislation designed to restructure local government and extend devolved powers to English regions. By voting to disagree with this amendment, the Commons has sent the bill back to the Lords without it, meaning the upper chamber must either accept the Commons position or propose an alternative. The bill as a whole seeks to reshape how power is distributed across England, affecting local councils, mayoral authorities, and communities across the country. **The politics:** The vote divided sharply along party lines. All 287 Labour and Labour and Co-operative Party members who voted supported the government's position, while Conservatives (80), Liberal Democrats (56), and the Greens (5) all voted against. There were no notable cross-party rebellions on the government benches. This division was one of at least six held on the same day rejecting Lords amendments to the same bill, with the government winning each one by comfortable margins, reflecting the Commons' consistent assertion of its position against Lords revisions to this legislation.