Comparison of Divisions: Welfare Reform and Incapacity Benefit — 22 Nov 2005 at 18:49 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
I beg to move,
That this House is extremely concerned that the Government is failing to tackle welfare reform despite promises to do so; recognises that the pensions system is in crisis; notes that the Prime Minister believes the Child Support Agency is not suited to carry out the task that it has been given; believes that the New Deal has failed to deliver; notes that 116,000 more people are claiming incapacity benefit than in 1997 despite the Government's pledge to reduce the number; is deeply disturbed that the Incapacity Benefit Green Paper, which was due to be published in the summer and then the autumn, will not now be published until January; believes that this is due to continuing conflict between the Prime Minister and the Department for Work and Pensions on the desired content of the Paper; and calls on the Government finally to deal with the increasingly urgent need for welfare reform, for the benefit of users of the system and all taxpayers.
I beg to move, To leave out from "House" to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof:
"welcomes the Government's consistent commitment since 1997 to pursue welfare reform to create an active, enabling welfare state where rights match responsibilities; supports the recent publication of the Principles of Welfare Reform, which builds on the foundations laid out in A New Contract for Welfare, published in 1998 and the Department for Work and Pensions' Five Year Strategy of February 2005; commends the Government's achievements in helping 2.1 million children out of absolute poverty since 1997; recognises the success of the New Deals, through which over 1.2 million people have moved into work; notes that new claims for incapacity benefit have been cut by one third since 1997; further recognises the importance of the National Pensions Debate in creating a dialogue with the public and building a consensus on pensions reform; further welcomes the progress made on tackling disability discrimination, opening doors for disabled people to remain in or return to work; in contrast, condemns the shameful record of the Opposition who spent more on administering the Child Support Agency than they paid out in maintenance and who allowed those on unemployment benefit to hit three million twice whilst also trebling the numbers on incapacity benefits between 1979 and 1997, costing the taxpayer billions and condemning millions of people to a life of benefit dependency."
Question put, That the original words stand part of the Question:-
The House divided: Ayes 232, Noes 309.
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) |
Hywel Francis | Aberavon | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Reid | Airdrie and Shotts | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley | Lab (minister) | 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 (minister) | no |
absent |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Angela Smith | Basildon | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | no |
aye |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | no |
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 (minister) | no |
absent |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | 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 (minister) | no |
aye |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Dai Davies | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | absent |
aye |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nick Gibb | Bognor Regis and Littlehampton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Roger Williams | Brecon and Radnorshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Sarah Teather | Brent East | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Barry Gardiner | Brent North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Dawn Butler | Brent South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ann Keen | Brentford and Isleworth | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Kerry McCarthy | Bristol East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Dawn Primarolo | Bristol South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Eric Forth | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Bob Neill | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con | absent |
aye |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Hywel Williams | Caernarfon | PC (front bench) | no |
aye |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Alun Michael | Cardiff South and Penarth | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Eric Martlew | Carlisle | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Adam Price | Carmarthen East and Dinefwr | PC (front bench) | no |
aye |
Tom Brake | Carshalton and Wallington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Kali Mountford | Colne Valley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | no |
absent |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Laura Moffatt | Crawley | Lab | absent |
no |
Gwyneth Dunwoody | Crewe and Nantwich | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con | absent |
aye |
Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Con | aye |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab | no |
absent |
Alan Milburn | Darlington | Lab | absent |
no |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Hanson | Delyn | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Margaret Beckett | Derby South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Ancram | Devizes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab | no |
absent |
Tessa Jowell | Dulwich and West Norwood | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Stewart Hosie | Dundee East | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Willie Rennie | Dunfermline and West Fife | LDem | absent |
aye |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Piara S Khabra | Ealing, Southall | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Virendra Sharma | Ealing, Southall | Lab | absent |
no |
Sammy Wilson | East Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Hugo Swire | East Devon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Michael Mates | East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jim Murphy | East Renfrewshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Greg Knight | East Yorkshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen O'Brien | Eddisbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alistair Darling | Edinburgh South West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Andrew Miller | Ellesmere Port and Neston | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Clive Efford | Eltham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Ian Taylor | Esher and Walton | Con | absent |
aye |
Ben Bradshaw | Exeter | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | no |
absent |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Paul Clark | Gillingham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mohammad Sarwar | Glasgow Central | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John MacDougall | Glenrothes | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Lab (front bench) | absent |
no |
Austin Mitchell | Great Grimsby | Lab | no |
absent |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | 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 (minister) | no |
absent |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | no |
aye |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Gareth Thomas | Harrow West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | no |
aye |
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 (minister) | no |
absent |
Francis Maude | Horsham | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | no |
aye |
Alan Johnson | Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gordon Brown | Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Edward O'Hara | Knowsley South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jimmy Hood | Lanark and Hamilton East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Greg Mulholland | Leeds North West | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab | no |
aye |
Patricia Hewitt | Leicester West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bridget Prentice | Lewisham East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Maria Eagle | Liverpool, Garston | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | no |
absent |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Lab | no |
absent |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Ian McCartney | Makerfield | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab | no |
absent |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | no |
aye |
Elfyn Llwyd | Meirionnydd Nant Conwy | PC (front bench) | no |
aye |
Caroline Spelman | Meriden | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nicholas Soames | Mid Sussex | Con | absent |
aye |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Stuart Bell | Middlesbrough | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Angus Robertson | Moray | SNP (front bench) | no |
aye |
Geraldine Smith | Morecambe and Lunesdale | Lab | absent |
no |
Peter Hain | Neath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Richard Benyon | Newbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
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 (minister) | no |
absent |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con | aye |
absent |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Oliver Heald | North East Hertfordshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mark Lancaster | North East Milton Keynes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Michael Wills | North Swindon | Lab | absent |
no |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | no |
absent |
Shailesh Vara | North West Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Hilary Armstrong | North West Durham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | no |
both |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | no |
aye |
Derek Conway | Old Bexley and Sidcup | whilst Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Phil Woolas | Oldham East and Saddleworth | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | no |
absent |
Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Horam | Orpington | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | no |
aye |
Gordon Prentice | Pendle | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Pete Wishart | Perth and North Perthshire | SNP (front bench) | no |
aye |
Jim Fitzpatrick | Poplar and Canning Town | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | no |
aye |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nigel Evans | Ribble Valley | Con | aye |
absent |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Rosindell | Romford | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Denis MacShane | Rotherham | Lab | no |
absent |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Alan Duncan | Rutland and Melton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Phil Wilson | Sedgefield | Lab | absent |
no |
Richard Caborn | Sheffield Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Clive Betts | Sheffield, Attercliffe | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
James Paice | South East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Patrick Cormack | South Staffordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Wilshire | Spelthorne | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | no |
aye |
Iris Robinson | Strangford | DUP | aye |
absent |
John Maples | Stratford-on-Avon | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | no |
absent |
Andrew Mitchell | Sutton Coldfield | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Richard Younger-Ross | Teignbridge | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Simpson | Upper Bann | DUP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab | no |
aye |
Bruce George | Walsall South | Lab | absent |
no |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Helen Jones | Warrington North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
James Plaskitt | Warwick and Leamington | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bob Blizzard | Waveney | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mark Oaten | Winchester | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Cameron | Witney | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Humfrey Malins | Woking | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Richard Taylor | Wyre Forest | Independent (front bench) | no |
aye |
The measure of similarity between these two divisions is a calculation
based on a comparison of their votes.
There were
646 MPs who could have voted in both of these divisions,
and 403 voted the same way, with 35 voting in opposite ways.
There were 33 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 175 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])
=
403
(403 + 35 + 0.2x175)
=
403
473
=
0.852
=
85.2 %.