Mental Health Bill Report Stage: Amendment 40

**What happened:** The House of Commons voted on Amendment 40 to the Mental Health Bill at report stage on 14 October 2025. The amendment, which would have modified provisions in the government's mental health legislation, was defeated by 339 votes to 163. **Why it matters:** The defeat of Amendment 40 means the government's original provisions in the Mental Health Bill remain intact. The bill, which represents significant reform of mental health legislation in England and Wales, will continue through Parliament in its unamended form on this point. The outcome affects how patients are treated under mental health law, with the amendment's supporters arguing it would have better protected patient rights, while the government maintained its existing approach was the appropriate one. **The politics:** The vote divided almost entirely along government versus opposition lines. All 294 Labour MPs and 31 Labour and Co-operative MPs voted against the amendment, providing the government's majority. Supporting the amendment were all voting Conservatives (90), all voting Liberal Democrats (61), Reform UK (6), the Democratic Unionist Party (3), Traditional Unionist Voice (1), and Ulster Unionist Party (1), alongside 2 independents. The Greens voted with the government. There were no Labour rebels recorded. The vote occurred alongside two related divisions on the same day, with Amendment 41 similarly defeated by 333 to 164, and New Clause 26 defeated more heavily by 327 to 78.