Comparison of Divisions: Armed Conflict — Parliamentary Approval — 15 May 2007 at 21:42 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
Those voting No rejected the motion before Parliament, which read:
This House supports the principle that parliamentary approval should be required for any substantial deployment of British Armed Forces into situations of war or international armed conflict; and, in the light of the Fourth Report from the Public Administration Committee, Session 2003-04, 'Taming the Prerogative: Strengthening Ministerial Accountability to Parliament', HC 422, and the Fifteenth Report of the House of Lords Constitution Committee, Session 2005-06, 'Waging War: Parliament"s role and responsibility', HL 236, calls on the Government to bring forward proposals to give effect to this principle, including mechanisms to ensure that the capability to react rapidly in emergencies is maintained.
As a result it was replaced with the new motion:
This House welcomes the precedents set by the Government in 2002 and 2003 in seeking and obtaining the approval of the House for its decisions in respect of military action against Iraq; is of the view that it is inconceivable that any Government would in practice depart from this precedent; taking note of the reports of the Public Administration Select Committee, HC 422 of Session 2003-04, and of the Lords Committee on the Constitution, HL 236 of Session 2005-06, believes that the time has come for Parliament's role to be made more explicit in approving, or otherwise, decisions of the Government relating to the major, or substantial, deployment of British forces overseas into actual, or potential, armed conflict; recognises the imperative to take full account of the paramount need not to compromise the security of British forces nor the operational discretion of those in command, including in respect of emergencies and regrets that insufficient weight has been given to this in some quarters; and calls upon the Government, after consultation, to come forward with more detailed proposals for Parliament to consider.
which passed automatically
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 |
Danny Alexander | Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
James Arbuthnot | North East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Richard Bacon | South Norfolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Baron | Billericay | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Margaret Beckett | Derby South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Richard Benyon | Newbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Bercow | Buckingham | whilst Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Beresford | Mole Valley | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Roger Berry | Kingswood | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Hazel Blears | Salford | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con | aye |
absent |
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) | no |
absent |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab | no |
absent |
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) | no |
aye |
Menzies Campbell | North East Fife | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Colin Challen | Morley and Rothwell | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Katy Clark | North Ayrshire and Arran | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Charles Clarke | Norwich South | Lab | no |
absent |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (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 |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | absent |
aye |
Patrick Cormack | South Staffordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Edward Davey | Kingston and Surbiton | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Dai Davies | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | no |
aye |
Philip Davies | Shipley | Con | 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 |
Nigel Dodds | Belfast North | DUP (front bench) | no |
aye |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | no |
aye |
Gwyneth Dunwoody | Crewe and Nantwich | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mark Durkan | Foyle | SDLP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Clive Efford | Eltham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | no |
absent |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Lynne Featherstone | Hornsey and Wood Green | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | no |
aye |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | 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 |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Greg Hands | Hammersmith and Fulham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Oliver Heald | North East Hertfordshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | no |
absent |
Nick Herbert | Arundel and South Downs | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | no |
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 | absent |
aye |
Adam Holloway | Gravesham | Con (front bench) | 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 |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Kim Howells | Pontypridd | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Christopher Huhne | Eastleigh | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
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 |
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 |
Paul Keetch | Hereford | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Jane Kennedy | Liverpool, Wavertree | Lab | absent |
no |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | no |
absent |
Greg Knight | East Yorkshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Norman Lamb | North Norfolk | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Lammy | Tottenham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Laws | Yeovil | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Leech | Manchester, Withington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Denis MacShane | Rotherham | Lab | no |
absent |
Khalid Mahmood | Birmingham, Perry Barr | Lab | no |
absent |
Humfrey Malins | Woking | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Maples | Stratford-on-Avon | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Rob Marris | Wolverhampton South West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
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 |
Francis Maude | Horsham | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Theresa May | Maidenhead | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Ian McCartney | Makerfield | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
William McCrea | South Antrim | DUP (front bench) | no |
aye |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | absent |
aye |
Eddie McGrady | South Down | SDLP | aye |
absent |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Ann McKechin | Glasgow North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Patrick Mercer | Newark | Con | absent |
aye |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Maria Miller | Basingstoke | 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 |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Elliot Morley | Scunthorpe | Lab | absent |
no |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
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 |
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 |
Adam Price | Carmarthen East and Dinefwr | PC (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Dawn Primarolo | Bristol South | 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 |
Angus Robertson | Moray | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Iris Robinson | Strangford | DUP | no |
absent |
Peter Robinson | Belfast East | DUP | no |
aye |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Virendra Sharma | Ealing, Southall | Lab | absent |
no |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | absent |
aye |
David Simpson | Upper Bann | DUP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | no |
aye |
Geraldine Smith | Morecambe and Lunesdale | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Robert Smith | West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nicholas Soames | Mid Sussex | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
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 |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab | no |
absent |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | no |
both |
Richard Taylor | Wyre Forest | Independent (front bench) | no |
aye |
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 |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab | absent |
aye |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | no |
absent |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con | aye |
absent |
Claire Ward | Watford | Lab (minister) | absent |
tellno |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Lab | no |
absent |
Michael Weir | Angus | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | no |
absent |
Roger Williams | Brecon and Radnorshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Michael Wills | North Swindon | Lab | absent |
no |
Phil Wilson | Sedgefield | Lab | absent |
no |
Sammy Wilson | East Antrim | DUP (front bench) | no |
aye |
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 |
Tony Wright | Cannock Chase | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
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 412 voted the same way, with 30 voting in opposite ways.
There were 40 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 164 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])
=
412
(412 + 30 + 0.2x164)
=
412
474.8
=
0.868
=
86.8 %.