Did my MP vote for or against the Tory amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill?

London: The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill just passed its first big test in Parliament. MPs gave it a second reading on January 8, which is a good sign for the legislation.

However, there was a Conservative amendment aimed at blocking the Bill. This amendment called for a national inquiry into grooming gangs but was shot down by a significant margin—364 votes against 111. That’s a majority of 253!

During a heated Prime Minister’s Questions, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch warned that not supporting the inquiry could look like a cover-up. It was quite the scene!

Interestingly, the Conservatives had pushed for this inquiry, which, if it had passed, would have stalled the Bill. But the MPs weren’t having it and voted it down.

The division list showed that quite a few Conservatives were in favor of the amendment, along with some from other parties, but no Labour MPs supported it.

When it came time to vote on the Bill’s second reading, there were shouts of “no” from some MPs, but the division was called off. The Bill will be looked at more closely later on.

This Bill aims to make sure all state schools, whether they’re academies or council-run, follow the same pay and conditions. Right now, academies can set their own rules, which can lead to some teachers getting paid more than others.

With this new legislation, all teachers will be under the same pay framework, no matter where they work. Plus, it’ll require all state schools to teach the national curriculum.

Another interesting point is that councils will be able to open new schools that aren’t academies, and it will stop the forced academisation of schools that Ofsted flags as needing help.

On top of that, the Government is looking to improve child protection with a new register for all home-schooled kids in England. It’s a busy time in Parliament!

Want to see how your MP voted? Check out our interactive gadget below!