Comparison of Divisions: Political Parties Funding — Reform rejected — 4 Dec 2007 at 18:48 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
The majority voted against the motion:[1]
-
This House
-
notes with concern the corrosion of public trust in democracy following the recent succession of scandals over the funding of the governing political party;
-
regrets that a comprehensive package of proposals to reform electoral law was not achieved by the inter-party talks owing to the refusal of the Secretary of State for Justice and the Labour representative, Mr Peter Watt, to accept a comprehensive cap on donations;
-
observes the unhealthy increase in back-door state funding through the £6 million of funds allocated to special advisers and the funding of over 3,000 press and communications officers across Whitehall and its quangos;
-
asserts that the Communications Allowance[2][3] is an unhealthy extension of taxpayer funding for party propaganda that advantages the governing party; and
-
calls for a comprehensive package of reforms to restore public trust and to support a vibrant local democracy and voluntary activism, which must include an across-the-board cap and annually a genuine individual choice for union members on whether they wish to donate to their favoured political party.
An alternative motion was passed in by the next vote.[4]
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) |
Hywel Francis | Aberavon | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Graham Brady | Altrincham and Sale West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alan Reid | Argyll and Bute | LDem (front bench) | absent |
tellaye |
Geoff Hoon | Ashfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Lidington | Aylesbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Tony Baldry | Banbury | Con | absent |
aye |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Hutton | Barrow and Furness | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Don Foster | Bath | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | no |
aye |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab | no |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nigel Dodds | Belfast North | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | no |
aye |
Alan Beith | Berwick-upon-Tweed | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Michael Moore | Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Gregory Barker | Bexhill and Battle | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Richard Burden | Birmingham, Northfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Khalid Mahmood | Birmingham, Perry Barr | Lab | no |
absent |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | no |
absent |
John Hemming | Birmingham, Yardley | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Dai Davies | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | no |
aye |
Mark Simmonds | Boston and Skegness | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Butterfill | Bournemouth West | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Sarah Teather | Brent East | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Stephen Williams | Bristol West | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Charles Walker | Broxbourne | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Kitty Ussher | Burnley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Hywel Williams | Caernarfon | PC (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Thurso | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
David Howarth | Cambridge | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Tony Wright | Cannock Chase | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jennifer Willott | Cardiff Central | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Tom Brake | Carshalton and Wallington | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Williams | Ceredigion | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Hunter | Cheadle | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Martin Horwood | Cheltenham | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Paul Holmes | Chesterfield | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Christopher Chope | Christchurch | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab | no |
aye |
David Jones | Clwyd West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Russell | Colchester | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con | absent |
aye |
Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab | no |
absent |
Bob Laxton | Derby North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Stewart Hosie | Dundee East | SNP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Willie Rennie | Dunfermline and West Fife | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Michael Mates | East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Tim Loughton | East Worthing and Shoreham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Christopher Huhne | Eastleigh | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ian Stewart | Eccles | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alistair Darling | Edinburgh South West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Barrett | Edinburgh West | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab | no |
absent |
Julia Goldsworthy | Falmouth and Camborne | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Hugh Robertson | Faversham and Mid Kent | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Michael Howard | Folkestone and Hythe | Con | absent |
aye |
Sharon Hodgson | Gateshead East and Washington West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John MacDougall | Glenrothes | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Malcolm Bruce | Gordon | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Austin Mitchell | Great Grimsby | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | no |
aye |
Diane Abbott | Hackney North and Stoke Newington | Lab | no |
aye |
Meg Hillier | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
David Davis | Haltemprice and Howden | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Greg Hands | Hammersmith and Fulham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | no |
aye |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Phil Willis | Harrogate and Knaresborough | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | no |
aye |
Andrew Stunell | Hazel Grove | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Boris Johnson | Henley | Con | aye |
absent |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
James Brokenshire | Hornchurch | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lynne Featherstone | Hornsey and Wood Green | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Francis Maude | Horsham | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Fraser Kemp | Houghton and Washington East | Lab | absent |
no |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Danny Alexander | Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | no |
aye |
Ann Cryer | Keighley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Malcolm Rifkind | Kensington and Chelsea | Con | absent |
aye |
Edward Davey | Kingston and Surbiton | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Roger Berry | Kingswood | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gordon Brown | Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jimmy Hood | Lanark and Hamilton East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Greg Mulholland | Leeds North West | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Norman Baker | Lewes | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Bridget Prentice | Lewisham East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | no |
absent |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Nicholas Winterton | Macclesfield | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ian McCartney | Makerfield | Lab | absent |
no |
John Leech | Manchester, Withington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | no |
aye |
Elfyn Llwyd | Meirionnydd Nant Conwy | PC (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Annette Brooke | Mid Dorset and North Poole | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Davies | Monmouth | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Colin Challen | Morley and Rothwell | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Angus MacNeil | Na h-Eileanan an Iar | SNP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Katy Clark | North Ayrshire and Arran | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Dan Rogerson | North Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | no |
tellaye |
Nick Harvey | North Devon | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alistair Burt | North East Bedfordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Natascha Engel | North East Derbyshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Menzies Campbell | North East Fife | LDem | absent |
aye |
James Arbuthnot | North East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Lancaster | North East Milton Keynes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Norman Lamb | North Norfolk | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Simon Hughes | North Southwark and Bermondsey | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | no |
absent |
Mike O'Brien | North Warwickshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Hilary Armstrong | North West Durham | Lab | absent |
no |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | absent |
both |
Henry Bellingham | North West Norfolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Steve Webb | Northavon | LDem | no |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Charles Clarke | Norwich South | Lab | no |
absent |
John Heppell | Nottingham East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | no |
aye |
Derek Conway | Old Bexley and Sidcup | whilst Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | no |
absent |
Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
John Horam | Orpington | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | no |
aye |
Evan Harris | Oxford West and Abingdon | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
David Maclean | Penrith and The Border | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen Crabb | Preseli Pembrokeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | no |
aye |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Susan Kramer | Richmond Park | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Kevin Barron | Rother Valley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Hazel Blears | Salford | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Robert Goodwill | Scarborough and Whitby | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Grogan | Selby | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Richard Caborn | Sheffield Central | Lab | no |
absent |
Clive Betts | Sheffield, Attercliffe | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Angela Smith | Sheffield, Hillsborough | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Daniel Kawczynski | Shrewsbury and Atcham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Curry | Skipton and Ripon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
David Heath | Somerton and Frome | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
William McCrea | South Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Colin Breed | South East Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Miliband | South Shields | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Shaun Woodward | St Helens South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Andrew George | St Ives | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | absent |
aye |
John Maples | Stratford-on-Avon | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Keith Hill | Streatham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Drew | Stroud | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Gummer | Suffolk Coastal | Con | absent |
aye |
Paul Burstow | Sutton and Cheam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew Mitchell | Sutton Coldfield | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
George Osborne | Tatton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jeremy Browne | Taunton | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Richard Younger-Ross | Teignbridge | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Laurence Robertson | Tewkesbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Adrian Sanders | Torbay | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Matthew Taylor | Truro and St Austell | LDem | no |
aye |
Vincent Cable | Twickenham | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Robert Smith | West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Tim Farron | Westmorland and Lonsdale | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Ben Chapman | Wirral South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Cameron | Witney | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Redwood | Wokingham | Con | absent |
aye |
Liam Fox | Woodspring | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Taylor | Wyre Forest | Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Laws | Yeovil | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Albert Owen | Ynys Môn | 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 362 voted the same way, with 65 voting in opposite ways.
There were 57 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 162 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])
=
362
(362 + 65 + 0.2x162)
=
362
459.4
=
0.788
=
78.8 %.