Comparison of Divisions: Sale of Radar System (Tanzania) — 30 Jan 2007 at 21:47 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
The majority of MPs voted against the motion:[1]
-
This House
-
notes the protests of citizens of Tanzania in a demonstration in Dar es Salaam on 20th January 2007 demanding the arrest of any wrongdoers involved in the sale of a radar system to Tanzania in 2001-02;
-
further notes that the Serious Fraud Office is investigating the propriety of the deal and allegations of corruption;
-
further notes that Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world and a leading recipient of British aid;
-
further notes that Tanzania borrowed to finance this deal, whilst simultaneously seeking and receiving debt relief;
-
calls upon the Government to explain whether adequate enquiries were made into the propriety of the deal at the time;
-
further calls upon the Government to explain why the views of the World Bank were not adequately considered in the process of deciding whether to issue an export licence, in breach of Criterion Eight of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria; and
-
further calls upon the Government to explain why consent to the deal was forced through a divided Cabinet by the Prime Minister in the face of the opposition of the then Secretary of State for International Development, the Rt Hon Member for Birmingham, Ladywood.
In its place, a new motion was proposed:
-
This House
-
notes that it would be inappropriate to comment on allegations of corruption in connection with the sale of a radar system to Tanzania in light of the current investigation by the Serious Fraud Office;
-
notes the great progress made by Tanzania since 2002 in achieving debt relief, poverty reduction and public service reform;
-
notes that the decision to grant an export licence for the air traffic control system was taken after due consideration of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria;
-
acknowledges that that decision took place after full discussion at Cabinet level;
-
further notes that the UK subsequently established its own cross-Whitehall methodology for the assessment of applications against Criterion 8 of the consolidated criteria and was subsequently instrumental in establishing a shared methodology with its EU partners; and
-
further notes the Government's efforts to promote an International Arms Trade Treaty.
which then passed without a vote.
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) |
Diane Abbott | Hackney North and Stoke Newington | Lab | absent |
aye |
Hilary Armstrong | North West Durham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Gregory Barker | Bexhill and Battle | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Margaret Beckett | Derby South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anne Begg | Aberdeen South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Richard Benyon | Newbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Hazel Blears | Salford | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con | aye |
absent |
Peter Bottomley | Worthing West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Colin Breed | South East Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gordon Brown | Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Nick Brown | Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend | Lab | absent |
no |
Des Browne | Kilmarnock and Loudoun | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jeremy Browne | Taunton | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Chris Bryant | Rhondda | Lab | absent |
no |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Richard Burden | Birmingham, Northfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab | no |
absent |
David Burrowes | Enfield, Southgate | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Burstow | Sutton and Cheam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Butterfill | Bournemouth West | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | no |
absent |
Richard Caborn | Sheffield Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Cameron | Witney | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gregory Campbell | East Londonderry | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Katy Clark | North Ayrshire and Arran | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Charles Clarke | Norwich South | Lab | no |
absent |
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | Cotswold | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Derek Conway | Old Bexley and Sidcup | whilst Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Yvette Cooper | Pontefract and Castleford | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | absent |
aye |
Patrick Cormack | South Staffordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab | no |
absent |
Ann Cryer | Keighley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Curry | Skipton and Ripon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Edward Davey | Kingston and Surbiton | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Dai Davies | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | absent |
aye |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Lab (front bench) | absent |
no |
David Davis | Haltemprice and Howden | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Janet Dean | Burton | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Denham | Southampton, Itchen | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Nigel Dodds | Belfast North | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Philip Dunne | Ludlow | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gwyneth Dunwoody | Crewe and Nantwich | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Tobias Ellwood | Bournemouth East | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jeff Ennis | Barnsley East and Mexborough | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | no |
absent |
Nigel Evans | Ribble Valley | Con | aye |
absent |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | no |
aye |
Jim Fitzpatrick | Poplar and Canning Town | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Rob Flello | Stoke-on-Trent South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Barbara Follett | Stevenage | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Jabez Foster | Hastings and Rye | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Liam Fox | Woodspring | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Edward Garnier | Harborough | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bruce George | Walsall South | Lab | absent |
no |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab | no |
absent |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | no |
absent |
Julia Goldsworthy | Falmouth and Camborne | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Michael Gove | Surrey Heath | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Greenway | Ryedale | Con | aye |
absent |
Nigel Griffiths | Edinburgh South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mike Hancock | Portsmouth South | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Evan Harris | Oxford West and Abingdon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Harvey | North Devon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | no |
absent |
Charles Hendry | Wealden | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Meg Hillier | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab | no |
aye |
Douglas Hogg | Sleaford and North Hykeham | Con | absent |
aye |
Jimmy Hood | Lanark and Hamilton East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Geoff Hoon | Ashfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Phil Hope | Corby | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
John Horam | Orpington | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Stewart Hosie | Dundee East | SNP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Michael Howard | Folkestone and Hythe | Con | absent |
aye |
Gerald Howarth | Aldershot | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Kim Howells | Pontypridd | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | absent |
aye |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alan Johnson | Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Boris Johnson | Henley | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Ruth Kelly | Bolton West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jane Kennedy | Liverpool, Wavertree | Lab | absent |
no |
Piara S Khabra | Ealing, Southall | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Sadiq Khan | Tooting | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | no |
absent |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Eleanor Laing | Epping Forest | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Oliver Letwin | West Dorset | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
David Maclean | Penrith and The Border | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Angus MacNeil | Na h-Eileanan an Iar | SNP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Denis MacShane | Rotherham | Lab | no |
absent |
Humfrey Malins | Woking | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
David Marshall | Glasgow East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | no |
aye |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
Michael Mates | East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Francis Maude | Horsham | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | absent |
aye |
Eddie McGrady | South Down | SDLP | no |
absent |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Tony McNulty | Harrow East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | no |
absent |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Patrick Mercer | Newark | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alun Michael | Cardiff South and Penarth | Lab | absent |
no |
Anne Milton | Guildford | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Austin Mitchell | Great Grimsby | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Margaret Moran | Luton South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jessica Morden | Newport East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Kali Mountford | Colne Valley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
George Mudie | Leeds East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Paul Murphy | Torfaen | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Dan Norris | Wansdyke | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Stephen O'Brien | Eddisbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Edward O'Hara | Knowsley South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
George Osborne | Tatton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
James Paice | South East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Bridget Prentice | Lewisham East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Prescott | Kingston upon Hull East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Dawn Primarolo | Bristol South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mark Pritchard | The Wrekin | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gwyn Prosser | Dover | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Pugh | Southport | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | no |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Reid | Airdrie and Shotts | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Hugh Robertson | Faversham and Mid Kent | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Geoffrey Robinson | Coventry North West | Lab | absent |
no |
Iris Robinson | Strangford | DUP | aye |
absent |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Bob Russell | Colchester | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Virendra Sharma | Ealing, Southall | Lab | absent |
no |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | no |
aye |
David Simpson | Upper Bann | DUP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | no |
aye |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Howard Stoate | Dartford | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab | no |
absent |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Gerry Sutcliffe | Bradford South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | no |
both |
Emily Thornberry | Islington South and Finsbury | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Stephen Timms | East Ham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | no |
aye |
Andrew Turner | Isle of Wight | Con | absent |
aye |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Derek Twigg | Halton | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Kitty Ussher | Burnley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab | no |
aye |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | no |
absent |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con | aye |
absent |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Lab | no |
absent |
Nigel Waterson | Eastbourne | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ann Widdecombe | Maidstone and The Weald | Con | absent |
aye |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | no |
absent |
Roger Williams | Brecon and Radnorshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Phil Willis | Harrogate and Knaresborough | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Wilshire | Spelthorne | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Phil Wilson | Sedgefield | Lab | absent |
no |
Rob Wilson | Reading East | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Winnick | Walsall North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ann Winterton | Congleton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nicholas Winterton | Macclesfield | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | absent |
aye |
Shaun Woodward | St Helens South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jeremy Wright | Rugby and Kenilworth | Con | absent |
aye |
Tony Wright | Cannock Chase | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tim Yeo | South Suffolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Younger-Ross | Teignbridge | LDem (front bench) | absent |
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 385 voted the same way, with 24 voting in opposite ways.
There were 32 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 205 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])
=
385
(385 + 24 + 0.2x205)
=
385
450
=
0.856
=
85.6 %.