Armed Forces Bill Committee: New Clause 5

Parliament voted on 2 June 2026 on New Clause 5 of the Armed Forces Bill, a proposal put forward in committee by opposition parties. The clause was defeated by 301 votes to 170. Every Labour and Labour and Co-operative MP who voted opposed it, while Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, the Democratic Unionist Party, the Greens, Plaid Cymru, and several smaller parties and independents all voted in favour. The vote determines whether the substance of New Clause 5 will be incorporated into the Armed Forces Bill as it continues through Parliament. Committee stage is the phase at which MPs examine a bill line by line and can propose additions or changes; a defeat here means the clause does not proceed unless reintroduced at a later stage. The bill, once passed, will govern the legal framework for the armed forces, so the content of any additional clauses directly affects the rights, conditions, and support available to service personnel and veterans. The division produced a clean government-versus-opposition split. All 299 Labour and Labour and Co-operative members who voted did so against the clause, with no rebels recorded. The opposition parties united in support, forming a cross-party bloc that nonetheless fell well short of the government's majority. The vote on New Clause 5 was one of several on the same day: New Clause 2 fell by 302 to 171, New Clause 13 by 298 to 80, and New Clause 6 by 371 to 99, indicating a sustained pattern of government resistance to opposition additions throughout this committee session.