Comparison of Divisions: Opposition Day — [2nd Allotted Day] — Prisons — 28 Nov 2007 at 18:50 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 294, Noes 202.
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 |
Nick Ainger | Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Ancram | Devizes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Norman Baker | Lewes | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Hugh Bayley | City of York | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Stuart Bell | Middlesbrough | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Paul Beresford | Mole Valley | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Blunkett | Sheffield, Brightside | Lab | absent |
no |
David Borrow | South Ribble | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con | no |
absent |
Graham Brady | Altrincham and Sale West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Colin Breed | South East Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Kevin Brennan | Cardiff West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gordon Brown | Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Malcolm Bruce | Gordon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Richard Burden | Birmingham, Northfield | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab | aye |
absent |
Alistair Burt | North East Bedfordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Butterfill | Bournemouth West | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | aye |
absent |
Liam Byrne | Birmingham, Hodge Hill | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Vincent Cable | Twickenham | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Cameron | Witney | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gregory Campbell | East Londonderry | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Menzies Campbell | North East Fife | LDem | absent |
aye |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab | aye |
absent |
Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Katy Clark | North Ayrshire and Arran | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ann Clwyd | Cynon Valley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Derek Conway | Old Bexley and Sidcup | whilst Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | aye |
aye |
Patrick Cormack | South Staffordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mary Creagh | Wakefield | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab | aye |
absent |
Jim Cunningham | Coventry South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Curry | Skipton and Ripon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alistair Darling | Edinburgh South West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Edward Davey | Kingston and Surbiton | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Davies | Monmouth | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jonathan Djanogly | Huntingdon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nadine Dorries | Mid Bedfordshire | Con | absent |
aye |
James Duddridge | Rochford and Southend East | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Duncan | Rutland and Melton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Iain Duncan Smith | Chingford and Woodford Green | Con | absent |
aye |
Philip Dunne | Ludlow | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tobias Ellwood | Bournemouth East | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Natascha Engel | North East Derbyshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Michael Fallon | Sevenoaks | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | aye |
absent |
Paul Goodman | Wycombe | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Chris Grayling | Epsom and Ewell | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Greenway | Ryedale | Con | no |
absent |
William Hague | Richmond (Yorks) | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
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 |
Dai Havard | Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Oliver Heald | North East Hertfordshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
John Healey | Wentworth | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Patricia Hewitt | Leicester West | Lab | absent |
no |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mark Hoban | Fareham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab (minister) | aye |
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 |
Michael Howard | Folkestone and Hythe | Con | absent |
aye |
George Howarth | Knowsley North and Sefton East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Christopher Huhne | Eastleigh | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Jeremy Hunt | South West Surrey | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
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 |
Boris Johnson | Henley | Con | no |
absent |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Tessa Jowell | Dulwich and West Norwood | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Keetch | Hereford | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Laws | Yeovil | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Oliver Letwin | West Dorset | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Lidington | Aylesbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Peter Lilley | Hitchin and Harpenden | Con | absent |
aye |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab | aye |
absent |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Denis MacShane | Rotherham | Lab | aye |
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 |
Theresa May | Maidenhead | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | aye |
aye |
Pat McFadden | Wolverhampton South East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John McFall | West Dunbartonshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jim McGovern | Dundee West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab | aye |
aye |
Ann McKechin | Glasgow North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Alan Milburn | Darlington | Lab | absent |
no |
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 |
Madeleine Moon | Bridgend | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Moore | Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
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 |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Brooks Newmark | Braintree | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Edward O'Hara | Knowsley South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mark Oaten | Winchester | LDem | no |
absent |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
George Osborne | Tatton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
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 Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Penning | Hemel Hempstead | 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 |
John Prescott | Kingston upon Hull East | Lab | aye |
absent |
John Pugh | Southport | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Randall | Uxbridge | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | aye |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Angus Robertson | Moray | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Hugh Robertson | Faversham and Mid Kent | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Peter Robinson | Belfast East | DUP | absent |
aye |
Dan Rogerson | North Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | absent |
tellaye |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
David Ruffley | Bury St Edmunds | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Clare Short | Birmingham, Ladywood | whilst Independent Labour | no |
absent |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | aye |
aye |
Keith Simpson | Mid Norfolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | aye |
aye |
Jacqui Smith | Redditch | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Robert Smith | West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
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 |
Ian Stewart | Eccles | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Gary Streeter | South West Devon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Mark Tami | Alyn and Deeside | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | aye |
both |
Matthew Taylor | Truro and St Austell | LDem | absent |
aye |
Richard Taylor | Wyre Forest | Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen Timms | East Ham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mark Todd | South Derbyshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Don Touhig | Islwyn | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Tredinnick | Bosworth | Con | absent |
aye |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | aye |
aye |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Kitty Ussher | Burnley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ed Vaizey | Wantage | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con | no |
absent |
Claire Ward | Watford | Lab (minister) | absent |
tellno |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Nigel Waterson | Eastbourne | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Michael Weir | Angus | SNP (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 |
Rosie Winterton | Doncaster Central | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Pete Wishart | Perth and North Perthshire | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | absent |
aye |
Shaun Woodward | St Helens South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Tim Yeo | South Suffolk | 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
646 MPs who could have voted in both of these divisions,
and 24 voted the same way, with 382 voting in opposite ways.
There were 41 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])
=
382
(382 + 24 + 0.2x199)
=
382
445.8
=
0.857
=
85.7 %.