Comparison of Divisions: Opposition Day — [12th allotted day] — Secretary of State for Health — 23 May 2007 at 18:48 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
Question accordingly negatived.
Question, That the proposed words be there added, put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 31 (Questions on amendments):-
The House divided: Ayes 269, Noes 207.
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 |
Sir David Amess | Southend West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Charlotte Atkins | Staffordshire Moorlands | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Richard Bacon | South Norfolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Tony Baldry | Banbury | Con | absent |
aye |
Kevin Barron | Rother Valley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Hugh Bayley | City of York | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Margaret Beckett | Derby South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anne Begg | Aberdeen South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Hazel Blears | Salford | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Borrow | South Ribble | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con | no |
absent |
Colin Breed | South East Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Des Browne | Kilmarnock and Loudoun | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jeremy Browne | Taunton | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Dawn Butler | Brent South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Butterfill | Bournemouth West | Con (front bench) | no |
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 |
Gregory Campbell | East Londonderry | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Bill Cash | Stone | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Ben Chapman | Wirral South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Katy Clark | North Ayrshire and Arran | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Charles Clarke | Norwich South | Lab | aye |
absent |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Clelland | Tyne Bridge | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | Cotswold | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Michael Connarty | Linlithgow and East Falkirk | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | aye |
aye |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab | aye |
absent |
Ann Cryer | Keighley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Alistair Darling | Edinburgh South West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Wayne David | Caerphilly | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Dai Davies | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | aye |
aye |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Lab (front bench) | absent |
no |
David Davis | Haltemprice and Howden | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Nigel Dodds | Belfast North | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Frank Doran | Aberdeen North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jim Dowd | Lewisham West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Philip Dunne | Ludlow | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tobias Ellwood | Bournemouth East | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jeff Ennis | Barnsley East and Mexborough | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Nigel Evans | Ribble Valley | Con | no |
absent |
Michael Fallon | Sevenoaks | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Tim Farron | Westmorland and Lonsdale | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | aye |
aye |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Barry Gardiner | Brent North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bruce George | Walsall South | Lab | absent |
no |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Dame Cheryl Gillan | Chesham and Amersham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Linda Gilroy | Plymouth, Sutton | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | aye |
absent |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
John Greenway | Ryedale | Con | no |
absent |
Nigel Griffiths | Edinburgh South | Lab | absent |
no |
Peter Hain | Neath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mike Hancock | Portsmouth South | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Greg Hands | Hammersmith and Fulham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Harriet Harman | Camberwell and Peckham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
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 |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Stephen Hepburn | Jarrow | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Meg Hillier | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab | absent |
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 |
Stewart Hosie | Dundee East | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Michael Howard | Folkestone and Hythe | Con | absent |
aye |
George Howarth | Knowsley North and Sefton East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gerald Howarth | Aldershot | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Brian Iddon | Bolton South East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | absent |
aye |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Alan Johnson | Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Jones | Clwyd West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Paul Keetch | Hereford | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Fraser Kemp | Houghton and Washington East | Lab | absent |
no |
Jane Kennedy | Liverpool, Wavertree | Lab | absent |
no |
Sadiq Khan | Tooting | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Eleanor Laing | Epping Forest | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Laxton | Derby North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Edward Leigh | Gainsborough | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Love | Edmonton | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Angus MacNeil | Na h-Eileanan an Iar | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Khalid Mahmood | Birmingham, Perry Barr | Lab | aye |
absent |
Humfrey Malins | Woking | Con (front bench) | no |
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 |
David Marshall | Glasgow East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | aye |
aye |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
Francis Maude | Horsham | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | aye |
absent |
William McCrea | South Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
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 |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Miliband | South Shields | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Mitchell | Sutton Coldfield | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Chris Mole | Ipswich | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Moore | Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Margaret Moran | Luton South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Elliot Morley | Scunthorpe | Lab | absent |
no |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Kali Mountford | Colne Valley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
George Mudie | Leeds East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Greg Mulholland | Leeds North West | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Doug Naysmith | Bristol North West | 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) | aye |
absent |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Penning | Hemel Hempstead | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Penrose | Weston-Super-Mare | 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 |
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) | aye |
absent |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | absent |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Reid | Airdrie and Shotts | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Angus Robertson | Moray | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Peter Robinson | Belfast East | DUP | absent |
aye |
Terry Rooney | Bradford North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Andrew Rosindell | Romford | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mohammad Sarwar | Glasgow Central | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Alison Seabeck | Plymouth, Devonport | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Virendra Sharma | Ealing, Southall | Lab | absent |
no |
Richard Shepherd | Aldridge-Brownhills | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | absent |
aye |
Keith Simpson | Mid Norfolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | aye |
aye |
Geraldine Smith | Morecambe and Lunesdale | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Smith | Vale of Glamorgan | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Howard Stoate | Dartford | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gary Streeter | South West Devon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Gerry Sutcliffe | Bradford South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | aye |
both |
Ian Taylor | Esher and Walton | Con | absent |
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 |
David Tredinnick | Bosworth | Con | absent |
aye |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | aye |
aye |
Andrew Turner | Isle of Wight | Con | absent |
aye |
Desmond Turner | Brighton, Kemptown | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab | aye |
aye |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | aye |
absent |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Lab | aye |
absent |
Angela Watkinson | Upminster | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Whittingdale | Maldon and East Chelmsford | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Williams | Swansea West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | aye |
absent |
Roger Williams | Brecon and Radnorshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Phil Willis | Harrogate and Knaresborough | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Michael Wills | North Swindon | Lab | absent |
no |
Phil Wilson | Sedgefield | Lab | absent |
no |
Sammy Wilson | East Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | absent |
aye |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Tim Yeo | South Suffolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
George Young | North West Hampshire | 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 23 voted the same way, with 372 voting in opposite ways.
There were 52 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 199 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])
=
372
(372 + 23 + 0.2x199)
=
372
434.8
=
0.856
=
85.6 %.