English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill: Government motion to disagree to Lords Amendment 2

**What happened** On 21 April 2026, MPs voted to reject Lords Amendment 2 to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, restoring the government's original text in that clause. The motion passed by 293 votes to 155. The amendment concerned the areas of competence that the Bill confers, relating to Clause 2 of the Bill. This was one of several government motions to disagree with Lords amendments considered on the same day, part of the parliamentary process known as ping-pong, in which the two chambers exchange amendments until they reach agreement. **Why it matters** The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is, in the government's framing, the largest transfer of power from Whitehall to English regions and communities in a generation. Lords Amendment 2 was one of a series of changes made in the upper chamber that the government argued would undermine the Bill's core principles. By voting to reject it, MPs restored the government's preferred approach to defining what devolved bodies can do, keeping the scope of competence as ministers intended rather than as amended by the Lords. The result affects how combined authorities, mayors and local bodies will exercise their powers going forward, with practical implications for planning, transport, licensing and local governance across England. **The politics** The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. All 292 Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted supported the government's position, while Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens and most smaller parties voted against. There were no notable Labour rebels. The Conservatives framed the Bill as a centralising measure rather than a genuine devolution of power, while the Liberal Democrats aligned with the Lords' position. The vote was one of at least five government motions to disagree with Lords amendments passed on the same day, with similar margins in each, suggesting tight coordination by government whips and consistent cross-party opposition.