Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill Committee: New Clause 2

Parliament voted on 8 June 2026 on New Clause 2 to the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill during its Committee stage in the House of Commons. The clause was defeated by 257 votes to 65. The vote was one of several divisions held on the same day as the bill progressed through detailed line-by-line scrutiny. New Clause 2 concerned the terms and governance framework under which the steel industry would be brought into public ownership. Its defeat means the bill proceeds without the additional requirements or constraints the clause would have imposed on the nationalisation process. The legislation itself aims to bring British steel production under state control, a significant intervention in UK industrial policy affecting tens of thousands of workers and the long-term future of domestic steelmaking capacity. The vote divided sharply along party lines. All 225 voting Labour MPs and all 24 voting Labour and Co-operative MPs opposed the clause, while the Liberal Democrats provided the bulk of support, with 61 of their MPs voting in favour. The Democratic Unionist Party split from the government position, with 3 MPs backing the clause, as did the Ulster Unionist Party and Traditional Unionist Voice with one MP each. The Conservatives appear to have been largely absent from this division, and Reform UK cast a single vote against. The result reflects the same basic alignment seen in related votes on the same day, including the defeat of Amendment 12 by 266 to 81 and of New Clause 8 by 251 to 145, as well as the earlier defeat of a reasoned amendment at Second Reading in May 2026.