Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill Remaining Stages: New Clause 5
78
Ayes
—
316
Noes
Defeated · Government won
254 did not vote
Analysis
Commons
Commons
**What happened:** The House of Commons voted on New Clause 5 to the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill on 15 October 2025, during the bill's remaining stages. The clause, which would have imposed stricter environmental requirements on sustainable aviation fuel production and use, was defeated by 316 votes to 78. **Why it matters:** The defeat of New Clause 5 means the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill will proceed without the additional environmental mandates the clause sought to introduce. The bill establishes a framework for mandating the use of sustainable aviation fuel in UK flights, and the rejected clause would have strengthened the environmental conditions attached to that framework. Those who backed the clause argued that without tighter standards, fuel labelled as sustainable may not deliver the climate benefits the policy promises. The outcome leaves the government's preferred, more market-oriented approach intact. **The politics:** The vote divided sharply along party lines. The Liberal Democrats provided the largest block of Aye votes with 60, joined by Plaid Cymru, the SNP, the Greens, and most Independent members voting in favour. Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs voted overwhelmingly against, supplying 311 of the 316 No votes. A single Labour MP crossed the floor to vote Aye. This result sits alongside two other defeats on the same day, on Amendments 8 and 9 to the same bill, where opposition and smaller parties similarly failed to tighten the bill's environmental provisions against the government's majority.
Voting Aye meant
Support requiring the government to publish a review of SAF feedstock supply, including assessing the impact of bioethanol plant closures, to ensure the UK can meet its sustainable aviation fuel targets
Voting No meant
Oppose the additional review requirement, arguing it duplicates existing measures in the SAF mandate and that the global bioethanol market means UK plant closures would not significantly affect SAF production
394 voting MPs. Each dot is one vote; left-to-right by party. Grey dots in the centre are the 254 who did not vote.
Aye
No
Absent
Labour PartyWhipped No
1
279
82
Conservative and Unionist Party
0
0
116
Liberal DemocratsWhipped Aye
60
0
12
Labour and Co-operative PartyWhipped No
0
32
10
Independent
6
3
4
Scottish National PartyWhipped Aye
4
0
5
Reform UK
0
0
8
Sinn Féin
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
1
0
4
Green Party of England and Wales
2
0
2
Plaid CymruWhipped Aye
4
0
—
Social Democratic and Labour Party
0
1
1
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
0
0
1
Speaker
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
0
0
1
Ulster Unionist Party
1
0
—
Your Party
1
0
—
Supports new clauses 1-5 to strengthen SAF targets, reporting, and accountability; criticises EU outpacing UK with 32% vs 22% target by 2040; urges clauses requiring conversion of disused refineries and bioethanol supply assessment.Liberal Democrat · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,222 words) →
Backs amendments 8-11 requiring cost transparency on passenger fares, standardised levy on invoices, and prioritisation of UK technology; opposes new clause 1 but supports power-to-liquid focus; emphasises consumer protection and practical implementation.Conservative · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (2,454 words) →
Advocates for public ownership and government investment to re-industrialise Grangemouth following Petroineos refinery closure; calls for government-led industrial strategy rather than relying on private capital.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (896 words) →
Supports new clause 2 on bioethanol supply assessment; argues SAF targets are unrealistic given 90% import dependency on China and Vivergo plant closure; criticises Heathrow expansion relying on unproven SAF deployment.Liberal Democrat · Voted aye · Read full speech (470 words) →
Opposes new clause 1; defends government flexibility on SAF technology deployment; warns against oversimplifying fuel pathways and overly burdensome reporting that could drive airlines away from SAF.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,026 words) →
Strongly supportive of Bill and new clauses 1-7; emphasises aviation's 2.5% global emissions share and SAF's 70% lifecycle emissions reduction; backs innovation in zero-carbon alternatives and employment growth projections.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (354 words) →
Tables new clause 7 and amendment 12 prioritising power-to-liquid SAF; argues PTL is cleanest option without food/environmental trade-offs; calls for revenue certainty contracts to de-risk first-mover projects by 2026.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,123 words) →
Strongly opposed; argues SAF is unaffordable (requiring $19-45bn globally), will massively raise passenger costs, and diverts resources from more efficient engine/airframe improvements; supports new clause 6 economic impact assessment.SNP · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (1,060 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0