Crime and Policing Bill Report Stage: New Clause 121

**What happened:** On 18 June 2025, the House of Commons voted on New Clause 121, a proposed addition to the Crime and Policing Bill at Report Stage. The clause was defeated by 310 votes to 114. Report Stage is the point in the legislative process where MPs debate and vote on amendments to a bill that has already passed through committee scrutiny. **Why it matters:** The defeat means that whatever specific provision New Clause 121 sought to introduce into the Crime and Policing Bill will not be included in the legislation as it progresses. The government's preferred version of the bill remains intact on this point. The Crime and Policing Bill is a substantial piece of legislation covering a wide range of law enforcement and public safety measures, and contested amendments at Report Stage typically reflect genuine disagreements about the scope or direction of policing policy. **The politics:** The vote divided sharply along government versus opposition lines. Almost the entire Conservative parliamentary party (92 of 116 voting members) supported the new clause, alongside all eight Reform UK MPs present, all four Green MPs, all three Plaid Cymru MPs, and a majority of independents. Labour, by contrast, voted almost unanimously against, with only one Labour MP crossing the floor. This was not a cross-party rebellion against the government but rather a conventional opposition challenge to government legislation, defeated comfortably by the government's majority.