Comparison of Divisions: Loyal Address — Conservative amendment — rejected — 25 May 2005 at 18:45 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
The majority No voters rejected a Conservative amendment[1] to the Queen's Loyal Address. The amendment would have added:
-
regret that the Gracious Speech does not contain measures to address the major challenges the British economy now faces to ensure its competitiveness in the light of unprecedented global competition
-
further regret the absence of measures to bridge the skills gap so that the UK has the right skills for tomorrow's economy
-
deplore the failure to include in the Gracious Speech a credible programme for cutting the burden of regulation which stifles business and holds back entrepreneurs
-
condemn the absence of measures to ensure value for taxpayers' money in order to improve public services and remove the need for further tax increases
-
further regret the absence of measures in the Gracious Speech to tackle the pensions crisis to which Government policy has contributed, or to encourage savings to help give people greater security and dignity in retirement.
Those voting Aye were therefore supporting these criticisms; those voting No were disagreeing with them.
----
The majority of MPs voted in favour of the motion:[1]
-
This House
-
regrets the Government's recent statement[2] outlining the eligibility criteria for Gurkhas to reside in the United Kingdom;
-
recognises the contribution the Gurkhas have made to the safety and freedom of the United Kingdom for the past 200 years;
-
notes that more Gurkhas have laid down their lives for the United Kingdom than are estimated to want to live here;
-
believes that Gurkhas who retired before 1997 should be treated fairly and in the same way as those who have retired since;
-
is concerned that the Government's new guidelines will permit only a small minority of Gurkhas and their families to settle whilst preventing the vast majority;
-
further believes that people who are prepared to fight and die for the United Kingdom should be entitled to live in the country; and
-
calls upon the Government to withdraw its new guidelines immediately and bring forward revised proposals that extend an equal right of residence to all Gurkhas.
As a consequence, the alternative Government motion, which read:[3]
-
This House
-
recognises that this Government is the only one since the Second World War to allow Gurkhas and their families settlement rights to the United Kingdom;
-
notes that in 2004 the Government permitted settlement rights to Gurkhas discharged since 1997, following the transfer of the Brigade HQ from Hong Kong to the United Kingdom;
-
further notes that under these rules around 6,000 Gurkhas and family members have been welcomed to the UK;
-
acknowledges that the court judgement of September 2008 determined that the 1997 cut-off date was fair and rational, while seeking clarification of the criteria for settlement rights for those who retired before 1997;
-
further notes that on 24 April the Government published new and more generous guidelines for the settlement applications of Gurkhas who retired before 1997;
-
supports this revised guidance, which will make around 10,000 Gurkhas and family members eligible to settle in the UK;
-
further notes that the Government undertakes actively to inform those who may be eligible in Nepal of these changes and to review the impact of the new guidance within 12 months;
-
further notes that the contribution Gurkhas have made is already recognised by pensions paid to around 25,000 Gurkhas or their widows in Nepal that allow for a good standard of living there; and
-
further notes that in the year 2000 Gurkha pensions were doubled and that, earlier in April 2009, in addition to an inflationary uplift of 14 per cent., those over 80 years old received a 20 per cent. increase in their pension.
... was never voted upon.
Although this extremely rare Government defeat in an opposition day motion is not binding (has no legal force)[4] a Government minister made a statement later in the day to bring "forward the date for the determination of the outstanding applications to the end of May."[5]
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MPs for which their vote on Motion (a) differed from their vote on Motion (b).
You can also see just opposite votes
between these two divisions,
or simply all the votes.
Sort by: Name | Constituency | Party | Vote (a) | Vote (b)
Name | Constituency | Party | Vote (a) | Vote (b) |
Anne Begg | Aberdeen South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Reid | Airdrie and Shotts | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Michael Weir | Angus | SNP (front bench) | no |
aye |
Geoff Hoon | Ashfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alex Salmond | Banff and Buchan | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab | no |
absent |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab | no |
absent |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | no |
aye |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab | no |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab | no |
absent |
Peter Robinson | Belfast East | DUP | absent |
aye |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP | absent |
aye |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Clare Short | Birmingham, Ladywood | whilst Lab | no |
absent |
Richard Burden | Birmingham, Northfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Khalid Mahmood | Birmingham, Perry Barr | Lab | no |
absent |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab | no |
absent |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | no |
absent |
Jack Straw | Blackburn | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab | no |
aye |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab | no |
aye |
Dai Davies | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | absent |
aye |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Joe Benton | Bootle | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Butterfill | Bournemouth West | Con | aye |
absent |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab | no |
absent |
Roger Williams | Brecon and Radnorshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Eric Forth | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con | aye |
absent |
Bob Neill | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con | absent |
aye |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con | aye |
absent |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab | no |
aye |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Hywel Williams | Caernarfon | PC (front bench) | no |
aye |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab | no |
aye |
Adam Price | Carmarthen East and Dinefwr | PC (front bench) | no |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Con | aye |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Mark Hunter | Cheadle | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Dame Cheryl Gillan | Chesham and Amersham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab | no |
aye |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab | no |
absent |
Kali Mountford | Colne Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | no |
absent |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab | no |
absent |
Bob Ainsworth | Coventry North East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gwyneth Dunwoody | Crewe and Nantwich | Lab | no |
absent |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con | absent |
aye |
Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby | Lab | no |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Con | aye |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Malcolm Wicks | Croydon North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alan Milburn | Darlington | Lab | absent |
no |
Howard Stoate | Dartford | Lab | absent |
no |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab | no |
absent |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Willie Rennie | Dunfermline and West Fife | LDem | absent |
aye |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Piara S Khabra | Ealing, Southall | Lab | no |
absent |
Virendra Sharma | Ealing, Southall | Lab | absent |
no |
Sammy Wilson | East Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Michael Mates | East Hampshire | Con | aye |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab | no |
absent |
Tim Loughton | East Worthing and Shoreham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Greg Knight | East Yorkshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab | no |
absent |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab | no |
absent |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab | no |
absent |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | no |
absent |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con | aye |
absent |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John MacDougall | Glenrothes | Lab | no |
absent |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Peter Viggers | Gosport | Con | absent |
aye |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Lab (front bench) | absent |
no |
Austin Mitchell | Great Grimsby | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab | no |
absent |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | no |
aye |
Diane Abbott | Hackney North and Stoke Newington | Lab | no |
aye |
Meg Hillier | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab | no |
absent |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab | no |
aye |
David Davis | Haltemprice and Howden | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | no |
aye |
Tony McNulty | Harrow East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | no |
aye |
Andrew Dismore | Hendon | Lab | absent |
no |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Boris Johnson | Henley | Con | aye |
absent |
Paul Keetch | Hereford | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab | no |
absent |
James Brokenshire | Hornchurch | Con | absent |
aye |
Francis Maude | Horsham | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Jonathan Djanogly | Huntingdon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab | no |
absent |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | no |
aye |
Emily Thornberry | Islington South and Finsbury | Lab | absent |
no |
John Prescott | Kingston upon Hull East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
George Howarth | Knowsley North and Sefton East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Edward O'Hara | Knowsley South | Lab | no |
absent |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab | no |
absent |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab | no |
aye |
Bridget Prentice | Lewisham East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab | no |
aye |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Lab | no |
absent |
Robin Cook | Livingston | Lab | no |
absent |
Jim Devine | Livingston | Lab | absent |
no |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab | absent |
aye |
Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Theresa May | Maidenhead | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ann Widdecombe | Maidstone and The Weald | Con | absent |
aye |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab | no |
absent |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | no |
aye |
Elfyn Llwyd | Meirionnydd Nant Conwy | PC (front bench) | no |
aye |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab | no |
absent |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Angus Robertson | Moray | SNP (front bench) | no |
aye |
Geraldine Smith | Morecambe and Lunesdale | Lab | absent |
no |
Angus MacNeil | Na h-Eileanan an Iar | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | no |
absent |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Katy Clark | North Ayrshire and Arran | Lab | no |
absent |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alistair Burt | North East Bedfordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Oliver Heald | North East Hertfordshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con | aye |
absent |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | no |
absent |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab | no |
both |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con | aye |
absent |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con | aye |
absent |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab | no |
absent |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | no |
aye |
Derek Conway | Old Bexley and Sidcup | whilst Con | aye |
absent |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | no |
absent |
Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Horam | Orpington | Con | aye |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | no |
aye |
Pete Wishart | Perth and North Perthshire | SNP (front bench) | no |
aye |
Mike Hancock | Portsmouth South | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | no |
aye |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab | no |
absent |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Crispin Blunt | Reigate | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem | aye |
absent |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Charles Kennedy | Ross, Skye and Lochaber | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Denis MacShane | Rotherham | Lab | no |
absent |
Nick Hurd | Ruislip - Northwood | Con | absent |
aye |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Greenway | Ryedale | Con | aye |
absent |
Elliot Morley | Scunthorpe | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tony Blair | Sedgefield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Phil Wilson | Sedgefield | Lab | absent |
no |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab | no |
absent |
Philip Davies | Shipley | Con | absent |
aye |
David Miliband | South Shields | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Patrick Cormack | South Staffordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab | no |
absent |
Stephen Ladyman | South Thanet | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab | no |
absent |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | no |
aye |
John Maples | Stratford-on-Avon | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab | no |
absent |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab | no |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Matthew Taylor | Truro and St Austell | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Angela Watkinson | Upminster | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab | no |
aye |
Claire Ward | Watford | Lab (minister) | absent |
tellno |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab | no |
absent |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Tom Watson | West Bromwich East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab | no |
absent |
Mark Oaten | Winchester | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Richard Taylor | Wyre Forest | Independent | no |
aye |
The measure of similarity between these two divisions is a calculation
based on a comparison of their votes.
There were
645 MPs who could have voted in both of these divisions,
and 433 voted the same way, with 36 voting in opposite ways.
There were 31 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 145 who voted in only one of them.
We invert the vote on the second division if it makes the distance closer (since the meaning of
'Aye' and 'No' are often interchangeable depending on how the question was put).
In this case, they line up the same way.
An 's vote in in only one of the divisions contributes a factor of 0.2 to the distance.
The calculation runs as follows:
ratio =
[same-votes]
([same-votes] + [differing-votes] + 0.2x[abstain-in-one])
=
433
(433 + 36 + 0.2x145)
=
433
498
=
0.869
=
86.9 %.