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) |
John Reid | Airdrie and Shotts | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Gerald Howarth | Aldershot | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Shepherd | Aldridge-Brownhills | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Graham Brady | Altrincham and Sale West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Alan Reid | Argyll and Bute | LDem (front bench) | absent |
tellaye |
Nick Herbert | Arundel and South Downs | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Geoff Hoon | Ashfield | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Tony Baldry | Banbury | Con | absent |
aye |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jeff Ennis | Barnsley East and Mexborough | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Don Foster | Bath | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | absent |
aye |
Dominic Grieve | Beaconsfield | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jacqui Lait | Beckenham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Peter Robinson | Belfast East | DUP | absent |
aye |
Nigel Dodds | Belfast North | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Baron | Billericay | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Steve McCabe | Birmingham, Hall Green | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | aye |
absent |
John Hemming | Birmingham, Yardley | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew Robathan | Blaby | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Dai Davies | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | absent |
aye |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Crausby | Bolton North East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Joe Benton | Bootle | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Tredinnick | Bosworth | Con | absent |
aye |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Roger Williams | Brecon and Radnorshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Eric Pickles | Brentwood and Ongar | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Stephen Williams | Bristol West | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Eric Forth | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Bob Neill | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con | absent |
aye |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Thurso | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | aye |
absent |
Julian Brazier | Canterbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Tom Brake | Carshalton and Wallington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Hunter | Cheadle | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Horwood | Cheltenham | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Dame Cheryl Gillan | Chesham and Amersham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Field | Cities of London and Westminster | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Hugh Bayley | City of York | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Kali Mountford | Colne Valley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | aye |
absent |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | Cotswold | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gwyneth Dunwoody | Crewe and Nantwich | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con | absent |
aye |
Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Con | no |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Alan Milburn | Darlington | Lab | absent |
no |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Hanson | Delyn | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Andrew Gwynne | Denton and Reddish | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Shahid Malik | Dewsbury | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Ian Pearson | Dudley South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tessa Jowell | Dulwich and West Norwood | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Stewart Hosie | Dundee East | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Jim McGovern | Dundee West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Piara S Khabra | Ealing, Southall | Lab (minister) | aye |
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 |
Adam Ingram | East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gregory Campbell | East Londonderry | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Peter Ainsworth | East Surrey | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tim Loughton | East Worthing and Shoreham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Greg Knight | East Yorkshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen O'Brien | Eddisbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab | aye |
absent |
John Barrett | Edinburgh West | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Joan Ryan | Enfield North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Burrowes | Enfield, Southgate | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Eleanor Laing | Epping Forest | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Chris Grayling | Epsom and Ewell | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Liz Blackman | Erewash | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Julia Goldsworthy | Falmouth and Camborne | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Hugh Robertson | Faversham and Mid Kent | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | aye |
absent |
Michael Howard | Folkestone and Hythe | Con | absent |
aye |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Vernon Coaker | Gedling | 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) | aye |
absent |
John MacDougall | Glenrothes | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Lab (front bench) | absent |
no |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | aye |
aye |
Diane Abbott | Hackney North and Stoke Newington | Lab | aye |
aye |
Meg Hillier | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
David Davis | Haltemprice and Howden | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Greg Hands | Hammersmith and Fulham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | aye |
aye |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Gareth Thomas | Harrow West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Iain Wright | Hartlepool | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Douglas Carswell | Harwich | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Michael Jabez Foster | Hastings and Rye | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | aye |
aye |
Andrew Stunell | Hazel Grove | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Peter Atkinson | Hexham | Con | absent |
aye |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Peter Lilley | Hitchin and Harpenden | Con | absent |
aye |
James Brokenshire | Hornchurch | Con | absent |
aye |
Lynne Featherstone | Hornsey and Wood Green | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jonathan Djanogly | Huntingdon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Lee Scott | Ilford North | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | absent |
aye |
Malcolm Rifkind | Kensington and Chelsea | Con | absent |
aye |
Edward Davey | Kingston and Surbiton | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Prescott | Kingston upon Hull East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Diana R. Johnson | Kingston upon Hull North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gordon Brown | Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
George Howarth | Knowsley North and Sefton East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jimmy Hood | Lanark and Hamilton East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ben Wallace | Lancaster and Wyre | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
George Mudie | Leeds East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab | aye |
aye |
Norman Baker | Lewes | LDem | absent |
aye |
Bridget Prentice | Lewisham East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Jane Kennedy | Liverpool, Wavertree | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Lab | aye |
absent |
Jim Devine | Livingston | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Peter Tapsell | Louth and Horncastle | Con | absent |
aye |
Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Margaret Moran | Luton South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Theresa May | Maidenhead | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ann Widdecombe | Maidstone and The Weald | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gerald Kaufman | Manchester, Gorton | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Leech | Manchester, Withington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | aye |
aye |
Caroline Spelman | Meriden | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nicholas Soames | Mid Sussex | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Siobhain McDonagh | Mitcham and Morden | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Beresford | Mole Valley | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Peter Hain | Neath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Katy Clark | North Ayrshire and Arran | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Nick Harvey | North Devon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con | no |
absent |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | aye |
absent |
Shailesh Vara | North West Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
George Young | North West Hampshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | aye |
both |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Charles Clarke | Norwich South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Heppell | Nottingham East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | absent |
aye |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | aye |
absent |
John Horam | Orpington | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | absent |
aye |
Evan Harris | Oxford West and Abingdon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Maclean | Penrith and The Border | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stewart Jackson | Peterborough | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Yvette Cooper | Pontefract and Castleford | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Stephen Crabb | Preseli Pembrokeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Hendrick | Preston | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | aye |
aye |
Rob Wilson | Reading East | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab | aye |
absent |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Crispin Blunt | Reigate | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nigel Evans | Ribble Valley | Con | no |
absent |
Susan Kramer | Richmond Park | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Jeremy Wright | Rugby and Kenilworth | Con | absent |
aye |
Nick Hurd | Ruislip - Northwood | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Alan Duncan | Rutland and Melton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Robert Key | Salisbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Elliot Morley | Scunthorpe | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Phil Wilson | Sedgefield | Lab | absent |
no |
David Blunkett | Sheffield, Brightside | Lab | absent |
no |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Derek Wyatt | Sittingbourne and Sheppey | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Douglas Hogg | Sleaford and North Hykeham | Con | absent |
aye |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
William McCrea | South Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew Lansley | South Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
James Paice | South East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Patrick Cormack | South Staffordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tim Yeo | South Suffolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Gary Streeter | South West Devon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jeremy Hunt | South West Surrey | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sir David Amess | Southend West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Wilshire | Spelthorne | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Shaun Woodward | St Helens South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Andrew George | St Ives | LDem | absent |
aye |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | absent |
aye |
Joan Walley | Stoke-on-Trent North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Rob Flello | Stoke-on-Trent South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bill Cash | Stone | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Maples | Stratford-on-Avon | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Drew | Stroud | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Michael Gove | Surrey Heath | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Burstow | Sutton and Cheam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Williams | Swansea West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Brian Jenkins | Tamworth | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
George Osborne | Tatton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Younger-Ross | Teignbridge | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Sadiq Khan | Tooting | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anthony Steen | Totnes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Matthew Taylor | Truro and St Austell | LDem | absent |
aye |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab | absent |
aye |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Helen Jones | Warrington North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Richard Spring | West Suffolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Michael Spicer | West Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew Murrison | Westbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tim Farron | Westmorland and Lonsdale | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Stephen Hammond | Wimbledon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Humfrey Malins | Woking | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Paul Goodman | Wycombe | 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 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 %.