Comparison of Divisions: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2006 — Remove income tax exemption for computer equipment — 2 May 2006 at 20:30 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
The majority Aye voters passed a measure that would remove the income tax exemption for computer equipment[1].
The original aim of the exemption was to promote household computer use by encouraging employers to loan computers to employees.
Dawn Primarolo MP explains why the government decided to remove the exemption as follows[2]:
-
'It is perfectly true that many employees have benefited from the tax exemption, but the home computer initiative (HCI) has been used extensively by groups that we would not generally expect to have difficulty accessing information technology. For example, 25 per cent. of those participating in the home computer initiative are higher rate taxpayers—more than twice the proportion among taxpayers as a whole. Furthermore, nearly one third of HCI participants are from white-collar industries—often defined as industries with a greater proportion of higher-than-average earners.'
However, Mark Francois MP argues against the measure as follows[3]:
-
'The scheme has proved popular, with about 500,000 people taking advantage of it effectively to hire a computer from their employer to help to improve their IT skills as part of a modern knowledge-based economy. This is especially important when we are seeking to improve IT skills to allow the UK to continue to compete with economies such as China and India in the 21st century. According to a recent analysis carried out by Hewlett-Packard, China and India between them now produce more than 120,000 IT graduates each year. How are we to compete effectively with that if we are bringing in measures to reduce the spread of IT literacy among our population, which is what the proposed change threatens to do?'
This measure eventually became law on 19 July 2006 when the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2006 received Royal Assent.
The Finance Bill set the government's budget for the 2006/2007 financial year.
----
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) |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Davis | Haltemprice and Howden | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Nigel Evans | Ribble Valley | Con | no |
absent |
Eric Forth | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
John Horam | Orpington | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Humfrey Malins | Woking | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
John Maples | Stratford-on-Avon | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Con | no |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con | no |
absent |
David Wilshire | Spelthorne | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Peter Ainsworth | East Surrey | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sir David Amess | Southend West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Peter Atkinson | Hexham | Con | absent |
aye |
Tony Baldry | Banbury | Con | absent |
aye |
John Baron | Billericay | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Beresford | Mole Valley | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Crispin Blunt | Reigate | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Graham Brady | Altrincham and Sale West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Julian Brazier | Canterbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
James Brokenshire | Hornchurch | Con | absent |
aye |
David Burrowes | Enfield, Southgate | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Douglas Carswell | Harwich | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bill Cash | Stone | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | Cotswold | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Patrick Cormack | South Staffordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen Crabb | Preseli Pembrokeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jonathan Djanogly | Huntingdon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Duncan | Rutland and Melton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Field | Cities of London and Westminster | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Dame Cheryl Gillan | Chesham and Amersham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Goodman | Wycombe | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Michael Gove | Surrey Heath | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Chris Grayling | Epsom and Ewell | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Dominic Grieve | Beaconsfield | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen Hammond | Wimbledon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Greg Hands | Hammersmith and Fulham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Herbert | Arundel and South Downs | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Douglas Hogg | Sleaford and North Hykeham | Con | absent |
aye |
Michael Howard | Folkestone and Hythe | Con | absent |
aye |
Gerald Howarth | Aldershot | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Jeremy Hunt | South West Surrey | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Hurd | Ruislip - Northwood | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stewart Jackson | Peterborough | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Robert Key | Salisbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Greg Knight | East Yorkshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Eleanor Laing | Epping Forest | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jacqui Lait | Beckenham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew Lansley | South Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Peter Lilley | Hitchin and Harpenden | Con | absent |
aye |
Tim Loughton | East Worthing and Shoreham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Maclean | Penrith and The Border | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Theresa May | Maidenhead | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew Murrison | Westbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Neill | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con | absent |
aye |
Stephen O'Brien | Eddisbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
George Osborne | Tatton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
James Paice | South East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Eric Pickles | Brentwood and Ongar | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Malcolm Rifkind | Kensington and Chelsea | Con | absent |
aye |
Andrew Robathan | Blaby | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Hugh Robertson | Faversham and Mid Kent | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lee Scott | Ilford North | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Shepherd | Aldridge-Brownhills | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nicholas Soames | Mid Sussex | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Caroline Spelman | Meriden | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Michael Spicer | West Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Spring | West Suffolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anthony Steen | Totnes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gary Streeter | South West Devon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Hugo Swire | East Devon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Peter Tapsell | Louth and Horncastle | Con | absent |
aye |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con | absent |
aye |
David Tredinnick | Bosworth | Con | absent |
aye |
Shailesh Vara | North West Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ben Wallace | Lancaster and Wyre | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ann Widdecombe | Maidstone and The Weald | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Rob Wilson | Reading East | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jeremy Wright | Rugby and Kenilworth | Con | absent |
aye |
Tim Yeo | South Suffolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
George Young | North West Hampshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gregory Campbell | East Londonderry | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nigel Dodds | Belfast North | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
William McCrea | South Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Peter Robinson | Belfast East | DUP | absent |
aye |
Sammy Wilson | East Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Dai Davies | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | absent |
aye |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Diane Abbott | Hackney North and Stoke Newington | Lab | aye |
aye |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | aye |
aye |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | aye |
aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | aye |
aye |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | aye |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | aye |
aye |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab | aye |
aye |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | aye |
both |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | aye |
absent |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
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 |
Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Gwyneth Dunwoody | Crewe and Nantwich | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | aye |
absent |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | aye |
absent |
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 |
Jimmy Hood | Lanark and Hamilton East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Geoff Hoon | Ashfield | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Piara S Khabra | Ealing, Southall | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John MacDougall | Glenrothes | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | aye |
absent |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Kali Mountford | Colne Valley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Bridget Prentice | Lewisham East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Prescott | Kingston upon Hull East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Reid | Airdrie and Shotts | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab | aye |
absent |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab | aye |
absent |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | aye |
absent |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Lab | aye |
absent |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | aye |
absent |
Shaun Woodward | St Helens South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | absent |
aye |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab | absent |
aye |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | absent |
aye |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | absent |
aye |
Hugh Bayley | City of York | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Joe Benton | Bootle | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Liz Blackman | Erewash | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Blunkett | Sheffield, Brightside | Lab | absent |
no |
Gordon Brown | Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Vernon Coaker | Gedling | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Yvette Cooper | Pontefract and Castleford | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Crausby | Bolton North East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Lab (front bench) | absent |
no |
Jim Devine | Livingston | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Drew | Stroud | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jeff Ennis | Barnsley East and Mexborough | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Rob Flello | Stoke-on-Trent South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Jabez Foster | Hastings and Rye | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Andrew Gwynne | Denton and Reddish | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Peter Hain | Neath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Hanson | Delyn | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mark Hendrick | Preston | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Heppell | Nottingham East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
George Howarth | Knowsley North and Sefton East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Adam Ingram | East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Brian Jenkins | Tamworth | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Diana R. Johnson | Kingston upon Hull North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Helen Jones | Warrington North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tessa Jowell | Dulwich and West Norwood | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gerald Kaufman | Manchester, Gorton | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jane Kennedy | Liverpool, Wavertree | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Sadiq Khan | Tooting | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Shahid Malik | Dewsbury | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Steve McCabe | Birmingham, Hall Green | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Siobhain McDonagh | Mitcham and Morden | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jim McGovern | Dundee West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Alan Milburn | Darlington | Lab | absent |
no |
Margaret Moran | Luton South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Elliot Morley | Scunthorpe | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
George Mudie | Leeds East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ian Pearson | Dudley South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Joan Ryan | Enfield North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mohammad Sarwar | Glasgow Central | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Virendra Sharma | Ealing, Southall | Lab | absent |
no |
Gareth Thomas | Harrow West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Joan Walley | Stoke-on-Trent North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Alan Williams | Swansea West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Phil Wilson | Sedgefield | Lab | absent |
no |
Iain Wright | Hartlepool | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Derek Wyatt | Sittingbourne and Sheppey | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Roger Williams | Brecon and Radnorshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Norman Baker | Lewes | LDem | absent |
aye |
John Barrett | Edinburgh West | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tom Brake | Carshalton and Wallington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Burstow | Sutton and Cheam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Edward Davey | Kingston and Surbiton | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tim Farron | Westmorland and Lonsdale | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lynne Featherstone | Hornsey and Wood Green | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Don Foster | Bath | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew George | St Ives | LDem | absent |
aye |
Julia Goldsworthy | Falmouth and Camborne | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Evan Harris | Oxford West and Abingdon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Harvey | North Devon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Hemming | Birmingham, Yardley | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Horwood | Cheltenham | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Hunter | Cheadle | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Susan Kramer | Richmond Park | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Leech | Manchester, Withington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Reid | Argyll and Bute | LDem (front bench) | absent |
tellaye |
Andrew Stunell | Hazel Grove | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Matthew Taylor | Truro and St Austell | LDem | absent |
aye |
John Thurso | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen Williams | Bristol West | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Younger-Ross | Teignbridge | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stewart Hosie | Dundee East | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | 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 18 voted the same way, with 335 voting in opposite ways.
There were 48 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 244 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])
=
335
(335 + 18 + 0.2x244)
=
335
401.8
=
0.834
=
83.4 %.