1993 vote of confidence in the government of John Major

The 1993 confidence motion in John Major's government was an explicit confidence motion in the Conservative government of John Major which was proposed in order to ensure support in Parliament for the passing of the Maastricht Treaty. Due to previous defeats caused when Eurosceptic Conservative MPs voted with the opposition, the Government had to obtain support for its policy on the Social Chapter before the European Communities Amendment Act 1993 could come into effect and allow the United Kingdom to ratify the treaty. Dissenting Conservative MPs were willing to vote against the Government but had to come into line on a confidence motion or else lose the Conservative whip. Only one eurosceptic MP was deliberately absent and as a result the motion passed by 40 votes and the United Kingdom ratified the Maastricht Treaty.

At Maastricht, John Major had negotiated a treaty which allowed the European Union to develop, but with the United Kingdom opting out of the 'Social Chapter' provisions on employment law. The opt out was strongly opposed by the Labour opposition, although it supported the treaty as a whole. The treaty itself was opposed by a minority of Members of Parliament in both main parties who were termed Eurosceptics due to their concern at the way the European Communities had developed as an institution.

As the Maastricht Treaty increased the powers of the European Communities, an Act of Parliament was needed to give effect to those powers in UK domestic law before the Government could ratify it. The Government introduced the European Communities Amendment Bill almost immediately after the general election in April 1992. As the Bill affected the constitution, its committee stage had to be taken in a Committee of the Whole House. Eurosceptics who opposed the treaty put down hundreds of amendments and the Committee stage lasted from 1 December 1992 to 21 April 1993; at the end the Government accepted new clause no. 74 proposed by the Labour front bench which required an explicit vote by both Houses of Parliament on a Government motion "considering the question of adopting the Protocol on Social Policy" before the Act could be implemented. Labour spokesman on Europe George Robertson described the new clause as a 'ticking time bomb' under the Government.

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