Energy
Energy policy and security
Based on 21 parliamentary votes
Related Environment Issues
How Parties Voted on Energy
Government alignment shows how often each party voted with the government's stated position. Issue-aligned direction shows agreement with the AI-identified supportive stance.
Voted with government positionVoted in issue-aligned direction
Recent Votes
| Vote | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|
Parliament voted on an opposition-proposed motion about oil and gas policy. Opposition Day motions are brought by parties not in government, and this vote signals a political divide over the future of North Sea oil and gas extraction under the Labour government. Yes = Support the opposition's position on oil and gas, likely backing continued or expanded North Sea production and opposing Labour's restrictions on new licences · No = Reject the opposition motion, backing the Labour government's approach of limiting new oil and gas licences as part of its clean energy transition Govt: No | 110-298 | 24 Mar 2026 |
Vote on an Opposition Day debate on energy policy, where the opposition put forward a motion and the government attempted to amend it. This vote was on whether the opposition's original wording of the motion should stand, rather than be replaced by the government's amendment. Yes = Support keeping the opposition's original energy motion unamended, backing the opposition's framing of energy policy concerns · No = Prefer the government's amended version of the energy motion, replacing the opposition's wording with Labour's own position on energy Govt: No | 99-334 | 12 Nov 2025 |
MPs voted on whether to approve new regulations extending subsidies (Contracts for Difference) to Drax power station, which burns biomass. Supporters say it is needed to maintain energy security and support renewable targets; opponents argue it continues costly and controversial support for a fuel source they consider environmentally dubious. Yes = Support extending Contracts for Difference subsidies to Drax and biomass energy as part of the UK's low-carbon energy strategy · No = Oppose continuing subsidies for Drax/biomass, arguing it is poor value for money and environmentally questionable Govt: Aye | 349-176 | 11 Jun 2025 |
Vote on a statutory instrument to expand the nationally significant infrastructure planning regime to include onshore wind and solar energy projects, meaning larger wind and solar farms would be approved through a streamlined national planning process rather than local councils. This matters because it would speed up the deployment of renewable energy to meet climate targets. Yes = Support making it easier to approve large onshore wind and solar projects through national planning rules, accelerating renewable energy development · No = Oppose removing local planning oversight for onshore wind and solar projects, citing concerns about community control and landscape impact Govt: Aye | 309-102 | 2 Apr 2025 |
MPs voted on regulations extending ecodesign and energy labelling rules to Northern Ireland, requiring energy-related products to meet minimum efficiency standards and carry accurate energy labels. The main controversy was whether these rules were being unfairly imposed on Northern Ireland without the same consultation process used for the rest of the UK. Yes = Support applying energy efficiency and product labelling regulations to Northern Ireland to reduce environmental impact and help consumers make informed choices · No = Oppose imposing these regulations on Northern Ireland without equivalent consultation, arguing it creates an unfair and discriminatory regulatory process compared to the rest of the UK Govt: Aye | 348-14 | 2 Apr 2025 |
The Commons voted to reject a Lords amendment to the Great British Energy Bill that would have required the new public energy company to take steps to ensure its supply chains are free from forced labour (particularly regarding solar panels linked to Uyghur forced labour in China). The government argued existing procurement rules and the Modern Slavery Act are sufficient; opponents wanted stronger explicit obligations written into the Bill. Yes = Support the government rejecting the Lords forced labour supply chain amendment, trusting existing procurement rules and the Modern Slavery Act to address the issue without adding new statutory duties to Great British Energy · No = Support the Lords amendment requiring Great British Energy to actively ensure its supply chains are free from forced labour, particularly given concerns about Chinese solar panel manufacturing relying on Uyghur slave labour Govt: Aye | 313-200 | 25 Mar 2025 |
Vote on Amendment 4 to the Crown Estate Bill, which sought to place additional scrutiny or accountability requirements on the Crown Estate's borrowing and decision-making powers. The government opposed the amendment, arguing the Bill already contains sufficient obligations. Yes = Support stronger parliamentary scrutiny and accountability over the Crown Estate's expanded borrowing powers · No = Oppose adding further obligations on the Crown Estate beyond those already in the Bill, trusting existing safeguards are sufficient Govt: No | 155-317 | 24 Feb 2025 |
Vote on a Liberal Democrat amendment to the Crown Estate Bill that would require the Crown Estate to coordinate marine spatial planning decisions with the Marine Maritime Organisation and consult fishing communities and other affected industries before making decisions about seabed use. Yes = Support requiring the Crown Estate to formally coordinate with marine planning bodies and consult fishing communities when making decisions about seabed use, ensuring their interests are protected alongside energy development. · No = Oppose adding this specific consultation requirement to the Bill, arguing that existing planning and environmental assessment processes already provide sufficient protection for fishing communities and the marine environment. Govt: No | 60-317 | 24 Feb 2025 |
Vote on whether to transfer management of the Crown Estate in Wales to the Welsh Government within two years, so that Wales controls and benefits from its own natural resources such as offshore wind and seabed assets. Yes = Support devolving Crown Estate powers in Wales to the Welsh Government, arguing Welsh communities should control and benefit from their own natural resources. · No = Oppose devolving the Crown Estate to Wales at this stage, preferring to keep it as a UK-wide institution or pursue other arrangements. Govt: No | 62-318 | 24 Feb 2025 |
Vote on whether to devolve Crown Estate powers over Welsh waters and marine areas to Wales, so that decisions about offshore energy and seabed use in Welsh waters would be made locally rather than by the UK-wide Crown Estate. The government opposed this, arguing it would complicate energy development and reduce returns reinvested in public services. Yes = Support devolving Crown Estate powers over Welsh marine areas to Wales, giving Wales greater control over its own natural resources and offshore energy potential. · No = Oppose Welsh devolution of Crown Estate powers, arguing it would undermine commercial returns, complicate energy licensing, and that the existing UK-wide Crown Estate structure better serves Wales and the UK as a whole. Govt: No | 102-314 | 24 Feb 2025 |
How is this calculated?
Government alignment (primary bar) shows how often a party's MPs voted with the government's stated position on this issue. This is the most comparable metric across parties, as it measures the same reference point for everyone.
Issue-aligned direction (secondary bar) shows how often MPs voted in the direction tagged as supportive of this issue by AI analysis. For example, if a vote is tagged “pro-environment”, a Yes vote counts as aligned. This can be misleading when the tagged direction happens to align with opposition amendments rather than government bills.
Why these metrics may differ: Opposition parties often vote against government bills for strategic or procedural reasons, even when they broadly support the policy area. The government alignment metric makes this clearer by showing the actual voting pattern against a consistent reference.
Source: Commons division data from the UK Parliament Votes API. Alignment direction determined by AI analysis of vote stance tags. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.