Armed Forces Bill Committee: New Clause 13

Parliament voted on 2 June 2026 on New Clause 13 to the Armed Forces Bill, a proposal brought forward during the committee stage of the bill. The clause was defeated by 298 votes to 80. Almost all of the government's Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs voted against it, while 58 Liberal Democrats, 5 Democratic Unionist Party MPs, 5 Greens, 3 Plaid Cymru, 3 Reform UK members, and a small number of independents and smaller unionist parties backed the proposal. One Labour MP broke with the party to vote in favour. New Clause 13 sought to add a new provision to the Armed Forces Bill. Its defeat means the policy it contained will not be incorporated into the legislation as it proceeds through Parliament. The Armed Forces Bill is the primary vehicle for regulating the terms and conditions of military service, covering matters such as discipline, welfare, and the legal framework governing service personnel. Any clause added to it would carry statutory force, making its rejection a concrete decision about what protections or requirements will not apply to armed forces personnel or the institutions that support them. The vote is one of several the committee held on the same day, with New Clauses 2, 5, and 6 all defeated on comparable margins, suggesting a pattern of the government majority blocking a series of opposition and cross-party amendments. The Liberal Democrats voted consistently in favour of these clauses, and with 58 votes in support of New Clause 13 they formed the largest bloc on the losing side. The government's Labour and Labour and Co-operative combined vote of 293 against was sufficient to defeat all of the proposed additions comfortably. The single Labour rebel in favour of New Clause 13 represents a minor but notable break from party discipline on this legislation.