Comparison of Divisions: Lisbon Treaty — Clause on 'parliamentary control of decisions' to remain in the Bill — 4 Mar 2008 at 22:30 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
The majority Aye voters passed a motion[1] that confirmed the clauses on 'parliamentary control of decisions' (clause 6) and 'short title' (clause 7) should remain in the European Union (Amendment) Bill.
Clause 6 outlines which decisions made at the European Union (EU) level would have to be approved by parliament. This mainly relates to the passerelle clauses which enables the EU to make decisions on certain policy areas via qualified majority voting rather than unanimity.
The Tories were opposed to this clause because they felt that ministers:
-
'in referring to clause 6, which is entitled "Parliamentary control of decisions", have tried to give the impression that what is happening here is a strengthening of parliamentary control. They refer to the fact that the House and the other place will have to vote on a motion to approve some of those changes, neglecting to point out that the status quo is that an Act of Parliament has to be passed to put through treaty changes.'[2]
However, the government argued that:
-
'We went further in the Bill's provisions than any other Government anywhere in the European Union who are currently using the process of ratification. The Bill gives Parliament a power that is not given anywhere else in the treaty or for any of the passerelles: prior control over the Government's veto. The treaty does not give national Parliaments prior control of any passerelle decision and a parliamentary lock is set out in the treaty. The Bill also provides a parliamentary lock on six separate passerelles, which, under the treaty, have no parliamentary lock at all—'[3]
The European Union (Amendment) Bill implements the Lisbon Treaty into UK law. The main aims of the Lisbon Treaty were to[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 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) |
Richard Shepherd | Aldridge-Brownhills | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Geoff Hoon | Ashfield | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Don Foster | Bath | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | aye |
aye |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab | aye |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Burden | Birmingham, Northfield | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jack Straw | Blackburn | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab | aye |
aye |
John Butterfill | Bournemouth West | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Dawn Butler | Brent South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Doug Naysmith | Bristol North West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Kitty Ussher | Burnley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Thurso | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | aye |
absent |
Tony Wright | Cannock Chase | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab | aye |
aye |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | aye |
absent |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con | absent |
aye |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab | aye |
absent |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Stewart Hosie | Dundee East | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Michael Mates | East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ian Stewart | Eccles | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Alistair Darling | Edinburgh South West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Barrett | Edinburgh West | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab | aye |
absent |
Joan Ryan | Enfield North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ian Taylor | Esher and Walton | Con | absent |
aye |
Julia Goldsworthy | Falmouth and Camborne | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | aye |
absent |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Marshall | Glasgow East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ian Davidson | Glasgow South West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | aye |
aye |
Diane Abbott | Hackney North and Stoke Newington | Lab | aye |
aye |
Meg Hillier | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
David Davis | Haltemprice and Howden | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | absent |
aye |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Phil Willis | Harrogate and Knaresborough | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | absent |
aye |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Boris Johnson | Henley | Con | no |
absent |
Paul Keetch | Hereford | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Lynne Featherstone | Hornsey and Wood Green | LDem | absent |
aye |
Francis Maude | Horsham | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Danny Alexander | Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey | LDem | absent |
aye |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | absent |
aye |
John Prescott | Kingston upon Hull East | Lab | aye |
absent |
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) | aye |
absent |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Norman Baker | Lewes | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bridget Prentice | Lewisham East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Ian McCartney | Makerfield | Lab | absent |
no |
Graham Stringer | Manchester, Blackley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | aye |
aye |
Dai Havard | Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Stuart Bell | Middlesbrough | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Peter Hain | Neath | Lab | absent |
no |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Katy Clark | North Ayrshire and Arran | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Dan Rogerson | North Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | absent |
tellaye |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Natascha Engel | North East Derbyshire | Lab | absent |
no |
Menzies Campbell | North East Fife | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Oliver Heald | North East Hertfordshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | aye |
absent |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | absent |
both |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | absent |
aye |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | aye |
absent |
John Horam | Orpington | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | aye |
aye |
Evan Harris | Oxford West and Abingdon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Hancock | Portsmouth South | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | aye |
aye |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Nigel Evans | Ribble Valley | Con | no |
absent |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Blunkett | Sheffield, Brightside | Lab | absent |
no |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Curry | Skipton and Ripon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
William McCrea | South Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Eddie McGrady | South Down | SDLP | aye |
absent |
Colin Breed | South East Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Miliband | South Shields | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Pugh | Southport | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Wilshire | Spelthorne | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Shaun Woodward | St Helens South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | aye |
aye |
John Maples | Stratford-on-Avon | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Drew | Stroud | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Gummer | Suffolk Coastal | Con | absent |
aye |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
George Osborne | Tatton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Simpson | Upper Bann | DUP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Mary Creagh | Wakefield | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Claire Ward | Watford | Lab (minister) | absent |
tellno |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Laws | Yeovil | LDem (front bench) | absent |
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 19 voted the same way, with 436 voting in opposite ways.
There were 48 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 143 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])
=
436
(436 + 19 + 0.2x143)
=
436
483.6
=
0.902
=
90.2 %.