Armed Forces Bill Committee: New Clause 6

Parliament defeated New Clause 6 to the Armed Forces Bill on 2 June 2026, by 371 votes to 99. The clause had been proposed during the committee stage of the bill, the parliamentary phase where MPs scrutinise legislation line by line and propose additions or changes. The result means the new clause will not be added to the Armed Forces Bill as it progresses through Parliament. Committee stage votes shape the final content of legislation, so defeating this clause removes whatever provision it contained from the bill. The vote is one of several divisions held on the same day during committee consideration of the Armed Forces Bill, a piece of legislation that governs the legal framework underpinning the armed forces. The vote divided sharply along party lines. All 265 Labour MPs who voted, all 57 Liberal Democrats, all 29 Labour and Co-operative members, all five Greens, and all three Plaid Cymru members voted against the clause. Support came almost entirely from the opposition benches: 87 Conservatives voted in favour, joined by all five Democratic Unionist Party members, three Reform UK members, one Traditional Unionist Voice member, and two independents. No Conservative voted against, and no government-party member voted for. The pattern reflects a clean government-versus-opposition split, with the large Labour majority determining the outcome comfortably.