Comparison of Divisions: EU Constitution — 8 Jun 2005 at 18:59 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
The issue in this division was whether to approve a Government amendment to a motion proposed by the Conservative front bench on the Constitutional Treaty of the European Union. The previous division had seen the House reject the wording proposed by the Conservatives.
The amended wording proposed was:
That this House endorses the Statement of 6th June by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which set out the Government's response to the results of the French and Dutch referenda on the EU Constitutional Treaty; recognises that discussions will now take place on the future of the Constitutional Treaty between European leaders collectively; and agrees that the EU should uphold the concept of subsidiarity and pursue greater flexibility and better regulation, and continue the contribution it has made to peace, democracy and prosperity over recent decades for the benefit of the people of Europe.
Under the Standing Orders of the House, if this amendment was agreed then the motion (as amended) would be agreed without a further division. Those voting Aye were agreeing with this motion, while those voting No were disagreeing with it.
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 inverted 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 | aye |
aye |
Danny Alexander | Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Michael Ancram | Devizes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Peter Atkinson | Hexham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab | aye |
absent |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Norman Baker | Lewes | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Tony Baldry | Banbury | Con | absent |
aye |
John Baron | Billericay | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Barrett | Edinburgh West | LDem | aye |
aye |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab | aye |
absent |
Margaret Beckett | Derby South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Alan Beith | Berwick-upon-Tweed | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Stuart Bell | Middlesbrough | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con | no |
absent |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Tom Brake | Carshalton and Wallington | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Colin Breed | South East Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Annette Brooke | Mid Dorset and North Poole | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Gordon Brown | Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jeremy Browne | Taunton | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Malcolm Bruce | Gordon | LDem | aye |
aye |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Richard Burden | Birmingham, Northfield | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab | aye |
absent |
Paul Burstow | Sutton and Cheam | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
John Butterfill | Bournemouth West | Con | no |
absent |
Vincent Cable | Twickenham | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Gregory Campbell | East Londonderry | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Menzies Campbell | North East Fife | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab | aye |
absent |
Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab | aye |
absent |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Katy Clark | North Ayrshire and Arran | Lab | aye |
absent |
Charles Clarke | Norwich South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab | aye |
aye |
Derek Conway | Old Bexley and Sidcup | whilst Con | no |
absent |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Robin Cook | Livingston | Lab | aye |
absent |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | aye |
aye |
Patrick Cormack | South Staffordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby | Lab | aye |
absent |
Edward Davey | Kingston and Surbiton | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Dai Davies | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | absent |
aye |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Lab (front bench) | absent |
no |
David Davis | Haltemprice and Howden | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
John Denham | Southampton, Itchen | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jim Devine | Livingston | Lab | absent |
no |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Brian H Donohoe | Central Ayrshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gwyneth Dunwoody | Crewe and Nantwich | Lab | aye |
absent |
Mark Durkan | Foyle | SDLP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Natascha Engel | North East Derbyshire | Lab | absent |
no |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Nigel Evans | Ribble Valley | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Tim Farron | Westmorland and Lonsdale | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lynne Featherstone | Hornsey and Wood Green | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | absent |
aye |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Eric Forth | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con | no |
absent |
Don Foster | Bath | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Andrew George | St Ives | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab | aye |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Dame Cheryl Gillan | Chesham and Amersham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | aye |
absent |
Julia Goldsworthy | Falmouth and Camborne | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con | no |
absent |
John Greenway | Ryedale | Con | no |
absent |
William Hague | Richmond (Yorks) | Con | absent |
aye |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab | aye |
absent |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mike Hancock | Portsmouth South | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Greg Hands | Hammersmith and Fulham | Con | absent |
aye |
Evan Harris | Oxford West and Abingdon | LDem | aye |
aye |
Nick Harvey | North Devon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Oliver Heald | North East Hertfordshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Heath | Somerton and Frome | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
John Hemming | Birmingham, Yardley | LDem | absent |
aye |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen Hesford | Wirral West | Lab | both |
no |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Meg Hillier | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab | aye |
absent |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Paul Holmes | Chesterfield | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Jimmy Hood | Lanark and Hamilton East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Geoff Hoon | Ashfield | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
John Horam | Orpington | Con | no |
absent |
Martin Horwood | Cheltenham | LDem | absent |
aye |
David Howarth | Cambridge | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Kim Howells | Pontypridd | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Simon Hughes | North Southwark and Bermondsey | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Christopher Huhne | Eastleigh | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab | aye |
aye |
Mark Hunter | Cheadle | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab | aye |
absent |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con | no |
absent |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | aye |
aye |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab | aye |
absent |
Boris Johnson | Henley | Con | no |
absent |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab | aye |
absent |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab | aye |
absent |
Paul Keetch | Hereford | LDem | aye |
absent |
Piara S Khabra | Ealing, Southall | Lab | aye |
absent |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con | no |
absent |
Greg Knight | East Yorkshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Susan Kramer | Richmond Park | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab | aye |
absent |
Norman Lamb | North Norfolk | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Peter Law | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | aye |
absent |
David Laws | Yeovil | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
John Leech | Manchester, Withington | LDem | aye |
aye |
Oliver Letwin | West Dorset | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Lidington | Aylesbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab | aye |
absent |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab | aye |
aye |
Denis MacShane | Rotherham | Lab | aye |
absent |
Khalid Mahmood | Birmingham, Perry Barr | Lab | aye |
absent |
Humfrey Malins | Woking | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley | Lab | aye |
absent |
John Maples | Stratford-on-Avon | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab | aye |
aye |
David Marshall | Glasgow East | Lab | aye |
absent |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | aye |
aye |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
Michael Mates | East Hampshire | Con | no |
absent |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | aye |
absent |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP | absent |
aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | aye |
aye |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab | aye |
aye |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab | aye |
absent |
Alan Milburn | Darlington | Lab | absent |
no |
David Miliband | South Shields | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Andrew Mitchell | Sutton Coldfield | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Austin Mitchell | Great Grimsby | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab | aye |
absent |
Michael Moore | Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab | aye |
aye |
Elliot Morley | Scunthorpe | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Kali Mountford | Colne Valley | Lab | aye |
absent |
Greg Mulholland | Leeds North West | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Jim Murphy | East Renfrewshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bob Neill | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con | absent |
aye |
Brooks Newmark | Braintree | Con | absent |
aye |
Edward O'Hara | Knowsley South | Lab | aye |
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) | aye |
absent |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab | aye |
aye |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con | no |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Con | no |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab | aye |
absent |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Bridget Prentice | Lewisham East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Prescott | Kingston upon Hull East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Dawn Primarolo | Bristol South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Pugh | Southport | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | aye |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab | aye |
aye |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab | aye |
absent |
Alan Reid | Argyll and Bute | LDem (front bench) | absent |
tellaye |
Willie Rennie | Dunfermline and West Fife | LDem | absent |
aye |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab | aye |
aye |
Angus Robertson | Moray | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Geoffrey Robinson | Coventry North West | Lab | absent |
no |
Iris Robinson | Strangford | DUP | no |
absent |
Dan Rogerson | North Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | aye |
tellaye |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem | aye |
absent |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Bob Russell | Colchester | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab | aye |
absent |
Adrian Sanders | Torbay | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Mohammad Sarwar | Glasgow Central | Lab | absent |
no |
Virendra Sharma | Ealing, Southall | Lab | absent |
no |
Clare Short | Birmingham, Ladywood | whilst Lab | aye |
absent |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | aye |
aye |
David Simpson | Upper Bann | DUP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab | aye |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | aye |
aye |
Angela Smith | Basildon | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Robert Smith | West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab | aye |
absent |
Nicholas Soames | Mid Sussex | Con | absent |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Con | no |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Jack Straw | Blackburn | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gary Streeter | South West Devon | Con | absent |
aye |
Graham Stringer | Manchester, Blackley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Stunell | Hazel Grove | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab | aye |
both |
Matthew Taylor | Truro and St Austell | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Sarah Teather | Brent East | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
John Thurso | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab | aye |
absent |
Mark Todd | South Derbyshire | Lab | absent |
no |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | aye |
aye |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab | aye |
absent |
Kitty Ussher | Burnley | Lab | absent |
no |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab | aye |
aye |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | aye |
absent |
Charles Walker | Broxbourne | Con | absent |
aye |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Lab | aye |
absent |
Steve Webb | Northavon | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | aye |
absent |
Mark Williams | Ceredigion | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Stephen Williams | Bristol West | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Phil Willis | Harrogate and Knaresborough | LDem | aye |
aye |
Jennifer Willott | Cardiff Central | LDem | aye |
aye |
David Wilshire | Spelthorne | Con | no |
absent |
Phil Wilson | Sedgefield | Lab | absent |
no |
Sammy Wilson | East Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | aye |
aye |
Shaun Woodward | St Helens South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab | aye |
absent |
Richard Younger-Ross | Teignbridge | LDem | aye |
aye |
The measure of similarity between these two divisions is a calculation
based on a comparison of their votes.
There were
644 MPs who could have voted in both of these divisions,
and 71 voted the same way, with 383 voting in opposite ways.
There were 30 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 160 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 on opposite sides.
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])
=
383
(383 + 71 + 0.2x160)
=
383
486
=
0.788
=
78.8 %.