Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill: Reasoned Amendment to Second Reading
68
Ayes
—
242
Noes
Defeated · Government won
334 did not vote
Analysis
Commons
Commons
Parliament voted on a reasoned amendment (a motion to decline the second reading of a bill while stating specific objections) to the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill on 21 May 2026. The amendment was tabled by Conservative MPs and argued against proceeding with the bill at this stage. It was defeated by 242 votes to 68, allowing the bill to proceed to its next parliamentary stage. The Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill would bring the UK steel industry into public ownership. By defeating the reasoned amendment, Parliament cleared the way for the bill to advance through its legislative stages. The vote is directly relevant to the future of British steelmaking, affecting workers, communities, and supply chains dependent on the industry, as well as broader questions about the role of state ownership in the economy. The vote divided sharply along party lines. All 211 Labour MPs and 22 Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted backed the bill by opposing the amendment, as did Reform UK's five voting members and the two Green MPs. The 68 votes in favour of the amendment came almost entirely from the Conservatives, with one independent joining them. No Conservative voted against the amendment. The result reflects the government's commanding Commons majority and places the bill firmly on course for further scrutiny.
Voting Aye meant
Support blocking or delaying the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill, opposing state ownership of the steel industry at this stage
Voting No meant
Support allowing the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill to proceed to further parliamentary scrutiny, backing the principle of nationalising the steel industry
310 voting MPs. Each dot is one vote; left-to-right by party. Grey dots in the centre are the 334 who did not vote.
Aye
No
Absent
Labour PartyWhipped No
0
211
149
Conservative and Unionist PartyWhipped Aye
69
0
47
Liberal Democrats
0
0
72
Labour and Co-operative PartyWhipped No
0
22
20
Independent
1
2
10
Reform UKWhipped No
0
5
3
Scottish National Party
0
0
7
Sinn Féin
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
0
0
5
Green Party of England and Wales
0
2
3
Plaid Cymru
0
0
4
Social Democratic and Labour Party
0
0
2
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
0
0
1
Restore Britain
0
0
1
Speaker
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
0
0
1
Ulster Unionist Party
0
0
1
Your Party
0
1
—
Public ownership is necessary to fix a broken privatised system; privatisation has failed passengers with poor performance, high fares, and profit extraction; the Bill allows contracts to expire and return to public control, saving taxpayer money on private sector fees.Labour · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (2,637 words) →
Rail reform is needed but this Bill is ideological, not evidence-based; privatisation transformed British Rail and doubled passenger numbers; public ownership under current management offers no guarantee of cheaper fares or better reliability; the Bill lacks detail on how it will benefit passengers.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (2,622 words) →
Privatisation has failed and extracted £700m annually in shareholder dividends while fares rose 20% in real terms; public ownership will serve the public interest rather than private profit; the manifesto commitment reflects strong public support (76% in recent polling).Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,383 words) →
Rail needs reform and public services should be affordable, but nationalisation alone is not the answer; concerned about funding competition with NHS and schools; prefers pragmatic focus on worst-performing operators first; Liberal Democrats will scrutinise based on passenger benefit.Liberal Democrat · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (1,125 words) →
Rail system needs reform but government should address worst performers first; unclear how Bill benefits passengers; concerns about operational details (driver training, seven-day service, ticket offices); waiting to be convinced this puts passengers first rather than ideology.Conservative · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (1,261 words) →
Mike AmesburySupportive
Avanti West Coast's poor performance demands action and public ownership; welcomed government's willingness to terminate contracts for underperformance.Labour · Read full speech (111 words) →
Public ownership has already shown improvements (TransPennine Express became most improved operator); South Western will see similar benefits; all remaining contracts will be brought into public ownership within three years.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (206 words) →
Supports the Bill's modernisation; highlights that disabled access and rural station closures remain overlooked priorities that must be addressed.Democratic Unionist Party · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (165 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0