Iraq — Case for war not established — rejected — 18 Mar 2003 at 21:15
The majority of MPs voted against making a change to the motion before Parliament that declared war on Iraq. The intact motion for war was voted through immediately after this amendment was rejected.[1]
The change would have been to replace the sections of the motion which read:[2]
-
This House...
-
notes that in the 130 days since Resolution 1441 was adopted Iraq has not co-operated actively, unconditionally and immediately with the weapons inspectors, and has rejected the final opportunity to comply and is in further material breach of its obligations under successive mandatory UN Security Council Resolutions;
-
regrets that despite sustained diplomatic effort by Her Majesty's Government it has not proved possible to secure a second Resolution in the UN because one Permanent Member of the Security Council made plain in public its intention to use its veto whatever the circumstances;
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notes the opinion of the Attorney General that, Iraq having failed to comply and Iraq being at the time of Resolution 1441 and continuing to be in material breach, the authority to use force under Resolution 678[10] has revived and so continues today;
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believes that the United Kingdom must uphold the authority of the United Nations as set out in Resolution 1441 and many Resolutions preceding it, and therefore supports the decision of Her Majesty's Government that the United Kingdom should use all means necessary to ensure the disarmament of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction;
-
offers wholehearted support to the men and women of Her Majesty's Armed Forces now on duty in the Middle East;
with:
-
This House...
-
believes that the case for war against Iraq has not yet been established, especially given the absence of specific United Nations authorisation; but,
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in the event that hostilities do commence, pledges its total support for the British forces engaged in the Middle East, expresses its admiration for their courage, skill and devotion to duty, and hopes that their tasks will be swiftly concluded with minimal casualties on all sides.
This was one of five major Parliamentary votes for war before the invasion.[3]
Debate in Parliament | Historical Hansard | Source |
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Votes by party, red entries are votes against the majority for that party.
What is Tell?
'+1 tell' means that in addition one member of that party was a
teller for that division lobby.
What are Boths? An MP can vote both
aye and no in the same division. The boths
page explains this.
What is Turnout? This is measured against
the total membership of the party at the time of the vote.
Party | Majority (No) | Minority (Aye) | Both | Turnout |
Con | 139 | 15 (+1 tell) | 0 | 95.1% |
DUP | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
Independent | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |
Independent Conservative | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
Lab | 245 (+2 tell) | 138 (+1 tell) | 0 | 94.1% |
LDem | 0 | 53 | 0 | 100.0% |
PC | 0 | 4 | 0 | 100.0% |
SDLP | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33.3% |
SNP | 0 | 5 | 0 | 100.0% |
UUP | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
Total: | 396 | 217 | 0 | 94.8% |
MPs
for which their vote in this division differed from the majority vote of their party.
You can see all votes in this division,
or every eligible MP who could have
voted in this division
Sort by: Name | Constituency | Party | Vote
Name | Constituency | Party | Vote |
Hywel Francis | Aberavon | Lab (minister) | aye |
Frank Doran | Aberdeen Central | Lab | aye |
Mr Malcolm Savidge | Aberdeen North | Lab | aye |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | aye |
Tony Baldry | Banbury | Con (front bench) | aye |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab | aye |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab | aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | aye |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab | aye |
John Baron | Billericay | Con | aye |
Mr Terry Davis | Birmingham, Hodge Hill | Lab | aye |
Richard Burden | Birmingham, Northfield | Lab (minister) | aye |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab | aye |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | aye |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab | aye |
Mr Llew Smith | Blaenau Gwent | Lab | aye |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab | aye |
David Crausby | Bolton North East | Lab (minister) | aye |
Brian Iddon | Bolton South East | Lab | aye |
Joe Benton | Bootle | Lab (minister) | aye |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab | aye |
Mr Win Griffiths | Bridgend | Lab | aye |
Desmond Turner | Brighton, Kemptown | Lab | aye |
David Lepper | Brighton, Pavilion | Lab | aye |
Doug Naysmith | Bristol North West | Lab | aye |
Mrs Valerie Davey | Bristol West | Lab | aye |
Mr Peter Pike | Burnley | Lab | aye |
David Chaytor | Bury North | Lab | aye |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | aye |
Mrs Anne Campbell | Cambridge | Lab | aye |
Tony Wright | Cannock Chase | Lab | aye |
Mr Jon Owen Jones | Cardiff Central | Lab | aye |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab | aye |
Kevin Brennan | Cardiff West | Lab (minister) | aye |
Eric Martlew | Carlisle | Lab | aye |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab | aye |
Mr Tony Worthington | Clydebank and Milngavie | Lab | aye |
Jimmy Hood | Clydesdale | Lab (minister) | aye |
Tom Clarke | Coatbridge and Chryston | Lab | aye |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | aye |
Mr Andrew Bennett | Denton and Reddish | Lab | aye |
Gwyn Prosser | Dover | Lab | aye |
Mr Iain Luke | Dundee East | Lab | aye |
Peter Ainsworth | East Surrey | Con | aye |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East and Musselburgh | Lab | aye |
Mark Lazarowicz | Edinburgh North and Leith | Lab (minister) | aye |
Clive Efford | Eltham | Lab (minister) | aye |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab | aye |
Ian Taylor | Esher and Walton | Con | aye |
Michael Connarty | Falkirk East | Lab (minister) | aye |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | aye |
Mrs Diana Organ | Forest of Dean | Lab | aye |
Edward Leigh | Gainsborough | Con (front bench) | aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow Anniesland | Lab (minister) | aye |
Mohammad Sarwar | Glasgow Govan | Lab | aye |
George Galloway | Glasgow Kelvin | whilst Lab | aye |
Ann McKechin | Glasgow Maryhill | Lab (minister) | aye |
Ian Davidson | Glasgow Pollok | Lab (minister) | aye |
Parmjit Dhanda | Gloucester | Lab | aye |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | aye |
Diane Abbott | Hackney North and Stoke Newington | Lab | aye |
Mr Brian Sedgemore | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab | aye |
Mrs Alice Mahon | Halifax | Lab | aye |
Mr Bill Tynan | Hamilton South | Lab | aye |
Mr Iain Coleman | Hammersmith and Fulham | Lab | aye |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | aye |
Mr Tony McWalter | Hemel Hempstead | Lab | aye |
Jon Trickett | Hemsworth | Lab (minister) | aye |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab | aye |
Frank Dobson | Holborn and St Pancras | Lab | aye |
John Cryer | Hornchurch | Lab | aye |
Ms Linda Perham | Ilford North | Lab | aye |
Andrew Turner | Isle of Wight | Con (front bench) | aye |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | aye |
Mr Chris Smith | Islington South and Finsbury | Lab | aye |
Stephen Hepburn | Jarrow | Lab | aye |
Ann Cryer | Keighley | Lab | aye |
Mr Phil Sawford | Kettering | Lab | aye |
Mr Kevin McNamara | Kingston upon Hull North | Lab | aye |
Roger Berry | Kingswood | Lab | aye |
Edward O'Hara | Knowsley South | Lab | aye |
Mr Hilton Dawson | Lancaster and Wyre | Lab | aye |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | aye |
Mr Harold Best | Leeds North West | Lab | aye |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab | aye |
Dr Jim Marshall | Leicester South | Lab | aye |
Joan Ruddock | Lewisham, Deptford | Lab | aye |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab | aye |
Mr Tam Dalyell | Linlithgow | Lab | aye |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | aye |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | Lab | aye |
Robin Cook | Livingston | Lab | aye |
Mr Denzil Davies | Llanelli | Lab | aye |
Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North | Lab (minister) | aye |
Tony Lloyd | Manchester Central | Lab | tellaye |
Graham Stringer | Manchester, Blackley | Lab (minister) | aye |
Mr Keith Bradley | Manchester, Withington | Lab | aye |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | aye |
Dai Havard | Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney | Lab (minister) | aye |
Mr Jonathan Sayeed | Mid Bedfordshire | whilst Con | aye |
David Hamilton | Midlothian | Lab (minister) | aye |
Mr Huw Edwards | Monmouth | Lab | aye |
Jim Cousins | Newcastle upon Tyne Central | Lab | aye |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | aye |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab | aye |
Mr Harry Barnes | North East Derbyshire | Lab | aye |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab | aye |
Mr Tony Clarke | Northampton South | Lab | aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab | aye |
Graham Allen | Nottingham North | Lab | aye |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | aye |
John Horam | Orpington | Con | aye |
Gordon Prentice | Pendle | Lab | aye |
Ms Helen Clark | Peterborough | Lab | aye |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | aye |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab | aye |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | aye |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | aye |
John Grogan | Selby | Lab | aye |
Mrs Helen Jackson | Sheffield, Hillsborough | Lab | aye |
Derek Wyatt | Sittingbourne and Sheppey | Lab | aye |
Douglas Hogg | Sleaford and North Hykeham | Con | tellaye |
Richard Bacon | South Norfolk | Con (front bench) | aye |
Mr Richard Page | South West Hertfordshire | Con | aye |
John Denham | Southampton, Itchen | Lab | aye |
Alan Whitehead | Southampton, Test | Lab | aye |
Mr Kerry Pollard | St Albans | Lab | aye |
David Kidney | Stafford | Lab | aye |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab | aye |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | aye |
Joan Walley | Stoke-on-Trent North | Lab (minister) | aye |
Mr George Stevenson | Stoke-on-Trent South | Lab | aye |
Ms Debra Shipley | Stourbridge | Lab | aye |
Mr John Lyons | Strathkelvin and Bearsden | Lab | aye |
David Drew | Stroud | Lab (minister) | aye |
John Gummer | Suffolk Coastal | Con (front bench) | aye |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | aye |
Chris Mullin | Sunderland South | Lab | aye |
Alan Williams | Swansea West | Lab | aye |
David Wright | Telford | Lab (minister) | aye |
Mr Tom Cox | Tooting | Lab | aye |
John Randall | Uxbridge | Con | aye |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab | aye |
Mr David Hinchliffe | Wakefield | Lab | aye |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab | aye |
Denis Murphy | Wansbeck | Lab | aye |
Bob Blizzard | Waveney | Lab | aye |
Mr Tony Banks | West Ham | Lab | aye |
Andrew Murrison | Westbury | Con (front bench) | aye |
Humfrey Malins | Woking | Con | aye |
Ken Purchase | Wolverhampton North East | Lab | aye |
Mr Terry Lewis | Worsley | Lab | aye |
Ian Lucas | Wrexham | Lab (minister) | aye |
Albert Owen | Ynys Môn | Lab (minister) | aye |