Opposition Day: Immigration
83Ayes
267Noes
Defeated · majority 184 · Government won298 did not vote
648 Members · Aye 83 · No 267 · DNV 298 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
Parliament voted on 21 May 2025 on a Conservative opposition day motion on immigration policy. The motion was defeated by 267 votes to 83. Opposition day motions are a procedural device allowing a party outside government to set the parliamentary agenda for debate and force a vote on a chosen topic; they are rarely won by the opposition but serve as a formal statement of policy disagreement. The vote matters chiefly as a political signal rather than a direct change in law. Opposition day motions, even when defeated, place a party's position on the record and compel the government to vote publicly against it. In this case, the Conservative motion called for a different approach to immigration and border control. The government rejected it, aligning with its existing policy direction, which includes the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill that passed its Commons third reading just nine days earlier. The voting split sharply along party lines. All 222 Labour MPs and 25 Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted came down against the motion, as did all seven SNP members, four Plaid Cymru MPs, four Green MPs, and two MPs listed under Your Party. Seventy-nine Conservative MPs supported the motion, joined by two Reform UK MPs, one Democratic Unionist Party MP, and two Independents. Two further Independents voted against. Thirty-seven Conservatives had no vote recorded. No notable cross-party rebellion was evident on either side.
Voting Aye meant
Support the Conservative opposition's motion on immigration, likely calling for stricter immigration controls or criticising the government's approach to border management.
Voting No meant
Reject the Conservative motion on immigration, defending the government's existing approach to immigration and border control policy.
Each row is one party. The stacked bar gives the within-party split of Aye / No / Absent; the columns on the right give the raw counts. The whip column shows the published party position — “Free vote” means the whip was formally removed for this division.
Party
Whip
Aye / No / Abs
Aye
No
Abs
Labour Party
Whipped No
0
222
139
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
79
0
37
Liberal Democrats
—
0
0
71
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
25
17
Independent
—
2
2
9
Scottish National Party
Whipped No
0
7
2
Reform UK
—
2
0
6
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
—
1
0
4
Green Party of England and Wales
Whipped No
0
4
0
Plaid Cymru
Whipped No
0
4
0
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
1
1
Your Party
—
0
2
0
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
Source · Hansard · UK Parliament Votes API · whip status from announced positions; “free vote” indicates the whip was formally removed
Small boat crossings are at record levels; government's Border Security Bill is inadequate; Rwanda-style removals deterrent is necessary; legal migration must be capped by Parliament vote; Human Rights Act should be repealed for immigration matters.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (4,108 words) →
Government has established Border Security Command, increased removals to 24,000, and is cooperating with international partners; Rwanda scheme was wasteful gimmick that failed; focus should be on enforcement, integration, and fair legal migration rules.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (3,616 words) →
Conservatives failed for 14 years; safe and legal routes plus European cooperation are needed; asylum seekers should be allowed to work after three months; international students and migrant workers are vital to economy and public services.Liberal Democrat · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (2,091 words) →
Immigration is too high but Conservatives' Rwanda scheme was cowardly gimmick; Conservative Brexit deal without returns agreement caused small boat crisis; government's detailed diplomacy is delivering results.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,445 words) →
Mass migration has damaged economy, social cohesion, and public services; migrants in low-skilled roles displace investment in British workers; population growth at 700,000-900,000 annually is unsustainable.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,482 words) →
Mass immigration undermines shared British identity and culture; human rights laws prevent effective border control; immigration has displaced British workers and killed labour-market investment pressure on employers.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,404 words) →
Border Security Bill gives law enforcement counter-terror powers to dismantle smuggling gangs; new international agreements with France, Germany, Italy, Iraq are working; asylum system is being properly managed after Conservative neglect.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (652 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0