Has it become harder for the government to control Parliament?

Since 1997

Labour governments under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, 2001–10. During Blair’s second and third terms, Labour backbenchers rebelled against the government on over 20 per cent of all divisions. Some of these rebellions were very large. On 64 occasions, 40 or more Labour MPs voted against the government, including major rebellions on high-profile issues, such as foundation hospitals (involving 65 MPs), university ‘top-up’ fees (72), the Iraq War (139) and the replacement of Trident nuclear submarines (94). 

• Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition under David Cameron, 2010–15. This was the most rebellious parliament since 1945. In its first four years, Coalition rebellions occurred in 37 per cent of divisions, with no fewer than 159 Conservatives (52 per cent of the parliamentary party) and 42 Liberal Democrats (74 per cent of the parliamentary party) defying the party whip at one time or another. The major issue over which backbenchers revolted was relations with the European Union. 

• Conservative government under David Cameron, 2015–16. Significant backbench pressure forced the Cameron government into making U-turns on at least 24 policies. Among the policies abandoned were the proposal that all schools should become academies, cuts to tax credits, and pension tax relief reform. In addition, the Cameron government was defeated three times, most memorably in March 2016 on the proposed deregulation of Sunday trading rules.

 • Conservative government under Theresa May, 2016–17. The May government continued the practice of Cameron, in seeking to head off backbench restiveness by modifying or reversing policies before they provoked open revolt and possibly led to parliamentary defeat. This is a tactic commonly employed by governments with slim majorities, which cannot afford to stand up to significant backbench pressure. Examples of policy ‘rethinks’ in these circumstances under May included the commitment in January 2017 to publish a White Paper on the government’s Brexit plan just days after ministers had ruled out this step; the promise in February 2017 to give MPs and peers a vote on the Brexit deal negotiated with Brussels before it is due to come into effect; and, most embarassingly, the withdrawal of the National Insurance hike for the self-employed one week after it had been announced in the March 2017 Budget.

Conservative government under Boris Johnson 2019- 2022Thirty-eight Conservative rebels backed an amendment to end Huawei's participation in the 5G network project by the start of 2023.Despite promises from the government of a new bill to address their concerns, rebel MPs pushed their plan to a vote.But with a large Commons majority, the government defeated it by 24 votes

Liz Truss: 2022- 2022 Fracking Confidence Vote (October 2022): Although the government technically won the vote (326–230), the event was widely seen as a catastrophic breakdown of authority. Conservative MPs were reportedly "manhandled" and "bullied" into voting with the government after confusion over whether it was a confidence motion. The resulting chaos and mass rebellion directly led to her resignation the following day. "Mini-Budget" Reversal (October 2022): On October 17, 2022, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivered an emergency statement in the Commons that essentially defeated her entire economic agenda. He dismantled almost all the tax cuts announced in her "mini-budget," while Truss sat silently on the front bench for 30 minutes, an event described as a total loss of her governing mandate.

Rishi Sunak : Rishi Sunak experienced a formal whipped defeat in the House of Commons during his time as Prime Minister, though his government suffered numerous legislative setbacks in the House of Lords and a historic defeat in the 2024 general election. December 4, 2023, the government lost its first whipped vote in the House of Commons since the 2019 general election. An amendment to the Victims and Prisoners Bill regarding the Infected Blood Scandal. The amendment passed by 246 votes to 242. 22 Conservative MPs rebelled against the government to support the move, which required ministers to establish a compensation body for victims within three months of the bill becoming law. 

Labour: Kier Starmer 2024

In 2025, the Labour government under Sir Keir Starmer has faced several high-profile setbacks and "humiliations" in Parliament, primarily driven by backbench rebellions and sustained opposition in the House of Lords.

• Welfare Reform  (July 2025): Although the government technically won the final vote on its welfare legislation, it was forced into a massive "last-minute" U-turn to avoid a definitive Commons defeat. Facing a rebellion from over 120 Labour MPs, ministers shelved controversial plans to restrict Personal Independence Payment (PIP) eligibility, a move that left a £4.8 billion hole in the Treasury's spending plans.

• Employment Rights Bill Deadlock (December 2025): The government  faced repeated defeats in the House of Lords regarding its flagship Employment Rights Bill. On December 11, 2025, peers backed a Conservative proposal to force a review of Labour's plan to abolish the cap on unfair dismissal compensation, a measure added late to the bill after union negotiations. As of late 2025, the bill remains in "ping-pong" between the Houses.As of December 10, 2025, the Labour government has suffered 106 defeats in the House of Lords during the 2024–26 session.

• Winter Fuel Allowance Backlash (May 2025): Following significant losses in local elections, the government faced intense pressure and a "rage" from its own MPs over the decision to means-test the winter fuel allowance. While not a formal legislative defeat, it significantly damaged the Prime Minister's authority early in the year. 

• Internal Rebellion (2024–2025): Tensions within the party led to the suspension of several MPs in 2024 for supporting an SNP amendment to scrap the two-child benefit cap. While most (including John McDonnell and Rebecca Long-Bailey) were readmitted by September 2025.

•  UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her November 2025 budget that the two-child benefit cap, which limits Universal Credit or tax credits to the first two children born after April 2017, will be scrapped from April 2026 and widely seen as a U-turn as a result of backbench pressure.