Great British Energy Bill Report Stage: Amendment 8

Parliament voted on 29 October 2024 on Amendment 8 to the Great British Energy Bill during its Report Stage. The amendment was brought forward by the Conservative Party and sought to impose further restrictions on the operations of Great British Energy, the proposed publicly owned energy company. The amendment was defeated by 361 votes to 115, with the government's position prevailing comfortably. The Great British Energy Bill aims to establish a new state-owned energy company tasked with investing in and developing clean energy projects across the United Kingdom. Amendment 8 was part of a series of Conservative attempts during Report Stage to constrain how Great British Energy would operate. Defeating the amendment keeps the Bill's original framework intact, allowing the government to proceed with establishing Great British Energy without the additional operational restrictions the Conservatives sought to impose. The Bill is expected to affect energy producers, local communities, and consumers, with supporters arguing it will reduce reliance on fossil fuels and lower energy bills over time. The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. All 316 Labour MPs and all 36 Labour and Co-operative MPs present voted against the amendment. All 100 Conservative MPs present voted in favour, joined by all six Reform UK members, all five Democratic Unionist Party members, and the single Ulster Unionist Party member. The Greens voted against the amendment, as did the majority of independent members. The Liberal Democrats, represented by Pippa Heylings in the debate, focused their contributions on separate amendments rather than this one. This was described in the debate as the third in a series of Conservative amendments to the Bill, situating it within a sustained opposition effort to reshape or limit the new public energy company.