Proxy voting in divisions in the House

Voting by proxy

Under Standing Order No 39A, an MP can apply to cast a proxy vote in most divisions of the House of Commons in the following circumstances:

(a) childbirth;

(b) care of an infant or newly adopted child;

(c) complications relating to childbirth or pregnancy, miscarriage, baby loss or extended absence for fertility treatment;

(d) serious long-term illness or injury; and

(e) risk-based exclusion from the Parliamentary estate.

Following the review of a pilot scheme for proxy voting for parental absence, the House agreed to a permanent standing order on proxy voting on 23 September 2020. The pilot scheme had initially been scheduled to run for a year from 29 January 2019 but it was extended to 28 September 2020.

The permanent scheme provided for MPs to be eligible for a proxy vote “by reason of absence from the precincts of the House” for childbirth or the care of an infant or a newly adopted child or “in circumstances where there have been complications relating to childbirth”.

In October 2022, the House made changes to the standing order. The requirement to be absent from the precincts of the House was removed and the reasons for parental absence were expressed in a different way.

Also in October 2022, a temporary change was made to allow proxy votes for MPs with a serious long-term illness or injury. This reason initially applied from 17 October 2022 until 30 April 2023, pending a review. It was extended to June 2023 and then to the end of the Parliament, with some alterations to the scheme for the final extension. On 23 October 2024, the arrangements were reinstated on a temporary basis until the end of the 2024–25 session.

On 13 May 2024, the House agreed that an MP barred from the Parliamentary Estate under the risk-based exclusion policy could apply for a proxy vote.

On 25 November 2024, para (c) of the circumstances in which a proxy vote is allowed was amended.

The scheme

The Proxy Voting Scheme has been published on the parliamentary website. It allows a proxy vote to be cast in any division in the House, except for the purposes of counting a quorum or for allowing the closure. Proxy votes can also be exercised in secret ballots for electing a Speaker, Deputy Speaker, select committee chair or chair of the Backbench Business Committee.

Proxy votes can only be cast if the Speaker has issued a certificate confirming that the MP is eligible.

Proxy votes are indicated in division lists published by the House.

Pilot arrangements for serious illness or injury

Even before the initial pilot arrangement was put in place, in January 2019, some MPs suggested that proxy voting should be allowed in other situations, such as serious illness or bereavement.

In September 2021, the Procedure Committee launched an inquiry to consider whether eligibility should be broadened.

In June 2022, the Procedure Committee reported (PDF). It found widespread support, from those who gave evidence to the committee, to include serious long-term injury or illness within the scheme. However, the committee concluded that before any changes were proposed, the House should be asked to express its opinion on the principle of whether the scheme should be extended. It also recommended any extension should be piloted first.

When the House agreed pilot arrangements for proxy votes for serious illness or injury, the Procedure Committee was directed to review the operation of the temporary extension for illness or injury by 17 March 2023.

The Procedure Committee published its review of the illness and injury pilot (PDF) on 16 March 2023. The committee recommended the House should retain serious long-term illness and injury as reasons for a proxy vote “on an ongoing basis”, subject to amendments being made to the scheme by the Speaker. However, it said that MPs should not be able to apply for proxy votes if they intended to be on the Parliamentary Estate when divisions took place.

In its response to the committee’s March 2023 report (PDF), the government supported the committee’s view that proxy voting should be permanently extended to cover serious long-term injury and illness. However, the government asked the committee to revisit recommendations it made about absence from the precincts.

A temporary extension to the pilot arrangements, until 30 June 2023, was approved, without debate, on 26 April 2023.

Following this extension, the Procedure Committee reaffirmed its view (PDF) that MPs should normally not be on the Parliamentary Estate if they held a proxy vote

On 28 June 2023, the House agreed to extend the pilot arrangements, until the end of the 2019 Parliament. The scheme was altered from 11 September 2023 to reflect the committee’s proposals on confirming serious long term illness or injury.

As noted above, on 23 October 2024, the House of Commons agreed that serious long-term illness or injury is a reason for a proxy vote for the remainder of the 2024–25 session.

The Procedure Committee has been asked to consider how this should operate before permanent changes are made to the standing order.

In a letter to the Leader of the House, the Procedure Committee’s chair, Cat Smith, confirmed it will complete a review before the end of the session (PDF); and it has launched an inquiry.

Should MPs be absent from the precincts to qualify for a proxy vote?

When the House first agreed the permanent standing order on proxy voting, it specified that MPs were eligible for proxy votes “by reason of absence from the precincts of the House”.

The Procedure Committee has concluded this should continue to be a requirement of the proxy voting scheme (PDF), even if it not in the standing order.

However, in April 2023, following the Procedure Committee’s review of arrangements for proxy voting for serious long-term illness or injury, the government expressed concern that these recommendations could have unintended consequences (PDF) and asked the committee to revisit them.

On 8 June 2023, the chair of the Procedure Committee, Karen Bradley, wrote to the Leader of the House to report the committee’s views (PDF). She reaffirmed the committee’s view that MPs should generally not be in Westminster if they are exercising a proxy vote.

Proxy voting and risk-based exclusion

When the House adopted a standing order to implement a risk-based exclusion policy, it provided that an excluded MP could apply for a proxy vote.

The risk-based exclusion policy could lead to MPs who have been arrested on suspicion of committing a violent or sexual offence being barred from the Parliamentary Estate, on the basis of a risk assessment undertaken by a panel appointed by the Speaker.