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) |
Diane Abbott | Hackney North and Stoke Newington | Lab | no |
aye |
Bob Ainsworth | Coventry North East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab | no |
absent |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab | no |
absent |
Anne Begg | Aberdeen South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Joe Benton | Bootle | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con | aye |
absent |
Tony Blair | Sedgefield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Crispin Blunt | Reigate | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
James Brokenshire | Hornchurch | Con | absent |
aye |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Richard Burden | Birmingham, Northfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab | no |
absent |
Alistair Burt | North East Bedfordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Butterfill | Bournemouth West | Con | aye |
absent |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | no |
absent |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab | no |
absent |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Katy Clark | North Ayrshire and Arran | Lab | no |
absent |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab | no |
aye |
Derek Conway | Old Bexley and Sidcup | whilst Con | aye |
absent |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab | no |
absent |
Robin Cook | Livingston | Lab | no |
absent |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | no |
aye |
Patrick Cormack | South Staffordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby | Lab | no |
absent |
Dai Davies | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | absent |
aye |
Philip Davies | Shipley | Con | absent |
aye |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Lab (front bench) | absent |
no |
David Davis | Haltemprice and Howden | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Jim Devine | Livingston | Lab | absent |
no |
Andrew Dismore | Hendon | Lab | absent |
no |
Jonathan Djanogly | Huntingdon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab | no |
absent |
Gwyneth Dunwoody | Crewe and Nantwich | Lab | no |
absent |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | no |
aye |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Eric Forth | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con | aye |
absent |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab | no |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab | no |
absent |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Dame Cheryl Gillan | Chesham and Amersham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | no |
absent |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con | aye |
absent |
John Greenway | Ryedale | Con | aye |
absent |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab | no |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab | no |
absent |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mike Hancock | Portsmouth South | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Oliver Heald | North East Hertfordshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | no |
absent |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Meg Hillier | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab | no |
absent |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Geoff Hoon | Ashfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
John Horam | Orpington | Con | aye |
absent |
George Howarth | Knowsley North and Sefton East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab | no |
aye |
Mark Hunter | Cheadle | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Hurd | Ruislip - Northwood | Con | absent |
aye |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab | no |
absent |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con | aye |
absent |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | no |
aye |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab | no |
absent |
Boris Johnson | Henley | Con | aye |
absent |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab | no |
absent |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab | no |
absent |
Paul Keetch | Hereford | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Charles Kennedy | Ross, Skye and Lochaber | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Piara S Khabra | Ealing, Southall | Lab | no |
absent |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con | aye |
absent |
Greg Knight | East Yorkshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab | no |
absent |
Stephen Ladyman | South Thanet | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab | no |
absent |
Elfyn Llwyd | Meirionnydd Nant Conwy | PC (front bench) | no |
aye |
Tim Loughton | East Worthing and Shoreham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John MacDougall | Glenrothes | Lab | no |
absent |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab | no |
aye |
Angus MacNeil | Na h-Eileanan an Iar | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Denis MacShane | Rotherham | Lab | no |
absent |
Khalid Mahmood | Birmingham, Perry Barr | Lab | no |
absent |
Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Maples | Stratford-on-Avon | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab | no |
aye |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | no |
aye |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
Michael Mates | East Hampshire | Con | aye |
absent |
Francis Maude | Horsham | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Theresa May | Maidenhead | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP | absent |
aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | no |
aye |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab | no |
aye |
Tony McNulty | Harrow East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | no |
absent |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab | no |
absent |
Alan Milburn | Darlington | Lab | absent |
no |
David Miliband | South Shields | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab | no |
absent |
Austin Mitchell | Great Grimsby | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab | no |
absent |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab | no |
aye |
Elliot Morley | Scunthorpe | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Kali Mountford | Colne Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Bob Neill | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con | absent |
aye |
Edward O'Hara | Knowsley South | Lab | no |
absent |
Mark Oaten | Winchester | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab | no |
aye |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con | aye |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Con | aye |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab | no |
absent |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Bridget Prentice | Lewisham East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Prescott | Kingston upon Hull East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Adam Price | Carmarthen East and Dinefwr | PC (front bench) | no |
aye |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | no |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab | absent |
aye |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab | no |
absent |
John Reid | Airdrie and Shotts | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Willie Rennie | Dunfermline and West Fife | LDem | absent |
aye |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab | no |
aye |
Angus Robertson | Moray | SNP (front bench) | no |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Peter Robinson | Belfast East | DUP | absent |
aye |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem | aye |
absent |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Alex Salmond | Banff and Buchan | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab | no |
absent |
Virendra Sharma | Ealing, Southall | Lab | absent |
no |
Clare Short | Birmingham, Ladywood | whilst Lab | no |
absent |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | no |
aye |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab | no |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | no |
aye |
Geraldine Smith | Morecambe and Lunesdale | Lab | absent |
no |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab | no |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Con | aye |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Howard Stoate | Dartford | Lab | absent |
no |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab | no |
absent |
Jack Straw | Blackburn | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab | no |
both |
Matthew Taylor | Truro and St Austell | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Richard Taylor | Wyre Forest | Independent | no |
aye |
Emily Thornberry | Islington South and Finsbury | Lab | absent |
no |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab | no |
absent |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | no |
aye |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab | no |
absent |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab | no |
aye |
Peter Viggers | Gosport | Con | absent |
aye |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | no |
absent |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Claire Ward | Watford | Lab (minister) | absent |
tellno |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Lab | no |
absent |
Angela Watkinson | Upminster | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tom Watson | West Bromwich East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Weir | Angus | SNP (front bench) | no |
aye |
Malcolm Wicks | Croydon North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ann Widdecombe | Maidstone and The Weald | Con | absent |
aye |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | no |
absent |
Hywel Williams | Caernarfon | PC (front bench) | no |
aye |
Roger Williams | Brecon and Radnorshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Phil Wilson | Sedgefield | Lab | absent |
no |
Sammy Wilson | East Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Pete Wishart | Perth and North Perthshire | SNP (front bench) | no |
aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | no |
aye |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab | no |
absent |
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 %.