Comparison of Divisions: Support for Members Who Have Chosen Not to Take Their Seats — 8 Feb 2006 at 17:59 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
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 |
James Arbuthnot | North East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Norman Baker | Lewes | LDem | aye |
aye |
Gregory Barker | Bexhill and Battle | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Baron | Billericay | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Barrett | Edinburgh West | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Hugh Bayley | City of York | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Alan Beith | Berwick-upon-Tweed | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Bercow | Buckingham | whilst Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Tony Blair | Sedgefield | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Tom Brake | Carshalton and Wallington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Annette Brooke | Mid Dorset and North Poole | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jeremy Browne | Taunton | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Malcolm Bruce | Gordon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
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 (minister) | aye |
absent |
Paul Burstow | Sutton and Cheam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Butterfill | Bournemouth West | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | aye |
absent |
Vincent Cable | Twickenham | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Caborn | Sheffield Central | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Cameron | Witney | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Menzies Campbell | North East Fife | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Ben Chapman | Wirral South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Christopher Chope | Christchurch | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Katy Clark | North Ayrshire and Arran | Lab (minister) | 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) | absent |
aye |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | aye |
aye |
Jim Cousins | Newcastle upon Tyne Central | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab | aye |
absent |
Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Edward Davey | Kingston and Surbiton | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Dai Davies | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | absent |
aye |
David Davies | Monmouth | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Lab (front bench) | absent |
no |
David Davis | Haltemprice and Howden | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Andrew Dismore | Hendon | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Iain Duncan Smith | Chingford and Woodford Green | Con | absent |
aye |
Philip Dunne | Ludlow | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gwyneth Dunwoody | Crewe and Nantwich | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Lynne Featherstone | Hornsey and Wood Green | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | aye |
aye |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Eric Forth | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Don Foster | Bath | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Michael Jabez Foster | Hastings and Rye | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Andrew George | St Ives | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Julia Goldsworthy | Falmouth and Camborne | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Justine Greening | Putney | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Gummer | Suffolk Coastal | Con | absent |
aye |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Harriet Harman | Camberwell and Peckham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Evan Harris | Oxford West and Abingdon | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Nick Harvey | North Devon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Oliver Heald | North East Hertfordshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
John Hemming | Birmingham, Yardley | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Stephen Hesford | Wirral West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Meg Hillier | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Douglas Hogg | Sleaford and North Hykeham | Con | 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 (front bench) | no |
absent |
Martin Horwood | Cheltenham | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gerald Howarth | Aldershot | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Simon Hughes | North Southwark and Bermondsey | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Christopher Huhne | Eastleigh | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Jeremy Hunt | South West Surrey | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Hunter | Cheadle | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Nick Hurd | Ruislip - Northwood | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Adam Ingram | East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | aye |
aye |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Boris Johnson | Henley | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Helen Jones | Warrington North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Paul Keetch | Hereford | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Robert Key | Salisbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Piara S Khabra | Ealing, Southall | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Susan Kramer | Richmond Park | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Norman Lamb | North Norfolk | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew Lansley | South Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Laws | Yeovil | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
John Leech | Manchester, Withington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Lepper | Brighton, Pavilion | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Peter Lilley | Hitchin and Harpenden | Con | absent |
aye |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Elfyn Llwyd | Meirionnydd Nant Conwy | PC (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew Love | Edmonton | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
John MacDougall | Glenrothes | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Denis MacShane | Rotherham | Lab | aye |
absent |
Khalid Mahmood | Birmingham, Perry Barr | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Maples | Stratford-on-Avon | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | aye |
aye |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
Michael Mates | East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | aye |
absent |
Kerry McCarthy | Bristol East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | aye |
aye |
John McFall | West Dunbartonshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Miliband | South Shields | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Michael Moore | Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Kali Mountford | Colne Valley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Greg Mulholland | Leeds North West | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Denis Murphy | Wansbeck | Lab | absent |
no |
Paul Murphy | Torfaen | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Doug Naysmith | Bristol North West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bob Neill | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con | absent |
aye |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Richard Ottaway | Croydon South | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ian Paisley | North Antrim | DUP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Con | no |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
John Penrose | Weston-Super-Mare | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Eric Pickles | Brentwood and Ongar | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab (minister) | 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 |
Adam Price | Carmarthen East and Dinefwr | PC (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | aye |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Alan Reid | Argyll and Bute | LDem (front bench) | aye |
tellaye |
John Reid | Airdrie and Shotts | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Willie Rennie | Dunfermline and West Fife | LDem | absent |
aye |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Angus Robertson | Moray | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Iris Robinson | Strangford | DUP | no |
absent |
Dan Rogerson | North Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | absent |
tellaye |
Terry Rooney | Bradford North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab | aye |
absent |
Virendra Sharma | Ealing, Southall | Lab | absent |
no |
Richard Shepherd | Aldridge-Brownhills | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | aye |
aye |
David Simpson | Upper Bann | DUP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | aye |
aye |
Geraldine Smith | Morecambe and Lunesdale | Lab | absent |
no |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Spellar | Warley | Lab | absent |
no |
Caroline Spelman | Meriden | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab | aye |
absent |
Gary Streeter | South West Devon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Stunell | Hazel Grove | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | no |
both |
Ian Taylor | Esher and Walton | Con | absent |
aye |
Matthew Taylor | Truro and St Austell | LDem | aye |
aye |
Richard Taylor | Wyre Forest | Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sarah Teather | Brent East | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Thurso | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mark Todd | South Derbyshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Tredinnick | Bosworth | Con | absent |
aye |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | absent |
aye |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab | aye |
aye |
Peter Viggers | Gosport | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Lab | aye |
absent |
Steve Webb | Northavon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Michael Weir | Angus | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ann Widdecombe | Maidstone and The Weald | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | aye |
absent |
Hywel Williams | Caernarfon | PC (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Williams | Ceredigion | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen Williams | Bristol West | LDem (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Phil Willis | Harrogate and Knaresborough | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jennifer Willott | Cardiff Central | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Wilshire | Spelthorne | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Phil Wilson | Sedgefield | Lab | absent |
no |
Ann Winterton | Congleton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Pete Wishart | Perth and North Perthshire | SNP (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 (minister) | aye |
absent |
Derek Wyatt | Sittingbourne and Sheppey | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tim Yeo | South Suffolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
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 40 voted the same way, with 376 voting in opposite ways.
There were 43 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 186 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])
=
376
(376 + 40 + 0.2x186)
=
376
453.2
=
0.830
=
83.0 %.