Comparison of Divisions: Lisbon Treaty — Referendum — rejected — 5 Mar 2008 at 18:30 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
The majority of MPs voted against making it necessary to hold a referendum before the Treaty of Lisbon could be inserted into the list of EU treaties in force.[1][2]
The technical process for ratifying the Treaty (which could have been conditional on the referendum) is its mention in the European Union (Amendment) Bill[3]. The Treaty of Lisbon[4][5] would be incorporated into United Kingdom law by inserting it into the list of treaties covered by the European Communities Act 1972,[6] which is the foundation stone of Britain's membership of the EU.
Owing to a 3-line whipped no-vote by their leader, all Liberal Democrat MPs who voted in this division were considered to have rebelled, and those who were front bench spokesmen had to resign from their positions.[7]
The main aims of the Lisbon Treaty were to[8]:
----
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) |
John Reid | Airdrie and Shotts | Lab | no |
absent |
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 |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alex Salmond | Banff and Buchan | SNP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Don Foster | Bath | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab | no |
absent |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Beith | Berwick-upon-Tweed | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Michael Moore | Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
George Galloway | Bethnal Green and Bow | Respect | aye |
absent |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Richard Burden | Birmingham, Northfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Khalid Mahmood | Birmingham, Perry Barr | Lab | no |
absent |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | aye |
absent |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab | no |
aye |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab | aye |
absent |
Dennis Skinner | Bolsover | Lab (minister) | aye |
no |
John Butterfill | Bournemouth West | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Sarah Teather | Brent East | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Stephen Williams | Bristol West | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Thurso | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
David Howarth | Cambridge | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tony Wright | Cannock Chase | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jennifer Willott | Cardiff Central | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Tom Brake | Carshalton and Wallington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
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 | absent |
aye |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab | no |
aye |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Bob Russell | Colchester | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Kali Mountford | Colne Valley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | no |
absent |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Gwyneth Dunwoody | Crewe and Nantwich | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
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 |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
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) | absent |
aye |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
John Cummings | Easington | Lab (minister) | aye |
no |
Michael Mates | East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Christopher Huhne | Eastleigh | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ian Stewart | Eccles | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Barrett | Edinburgh West | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab | aye |
absent |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Ian Taylor | Esher and Walton | Con | absent |
aye |
Julia Goldsworthy | Falmouth and Camborne | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Marshall | Glasgow East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Ian Davidson | Glasgow South West | Lab (minister) | aye |
no |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Malcolm Bruce | Gordon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Austin Mitchell | Great Grimsby | Lab (minister) | aye |
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 | absent |
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 |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | absent |
aye |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Phil Willis | Harrogate and Knaresborough | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew Stunell | Hazel Grove | LDem | absent |
aye |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Boris Johnson | Henley | Con | aye |
absent |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Lynne Featherstone | Hornsey and Wood Green | LDem | absent |
aye |
Francis Maude | Horsham | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Danny Alexander | Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey | LDem | absent |
aye |
Ann Cryer | Keighley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Edward Davey | Kingston and Surbiton | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Edward O'Hara | Knowsley South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
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 |
George Mudie | Leeds East | Lab (minister) | aye |
no |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Norman Baker | Lewes | LDem (front bench) | absent |
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 |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Ian McCartney | Makerfield | Lab | absent |
no |
Graham Stringer | Manchester, Blackley | Lab (minister) | aye |
no |
John Leech | Manchester, Withington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab | no |
absent |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | no |
aye |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Angus MacNeil | Na h-Eileanan an Iar | SNP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | no |
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) | absent |
tellaye |
Nick Harvey | North Devon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con | aye |
absent |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Menzies Campbell | North East Fife | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Oliver Heald | North East Hertfordshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Norman Lamb | North Norfolk | LDem (front bench) | absent |
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 |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | aye |
both |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Steve Webb | Northavon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Charles Clarke | Norwich South | Lab | no |
absent |
Derek Conway | Old Bexley and Sidcup | whilst Independent (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | no |
absent |
Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland | LDem (front bench) | aye |
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) | absent |
aye |
Mike Hancock | Portsmouth South | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nigel Evans | Ribble Valley | Con | aye |
absent |
Susan Kramer | Richmond Park | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Denis MacShane | Rotherham | Lab | no |
absent |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
John Greenway | Ryedale | Con | aye |
absent |
Richard Caborn | Sheffield Central | Lab | no |
absent |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Curry | Skipton and Ripon | Con (front bench) | no |
aye |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (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 |
David Wilshire | Spelthorne | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Shaun Woodward | St Helens South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Drew | Stroud | Lab (minister) | aye |
no |
John Gummer | Suffolk Coastal | Con | no |
aye |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | no |
absent |
Paul Burstow | Sutton and Cheam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jeremy Browne | Taunton | LDem (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) | absent |
aye |
Matthew Taylor | Truro and St Austell | LDem | absent |
aye |
Vincent Cable | Twickenham | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Simpson | Upper Bann | DUP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Denis Murphy | Wansbeck | Lab (minister) | aye |
no |
Claire Ward | Watford | Lab (minister) | absent |
tellno |
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) | absent |
aye |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Humfrey Malins | Woking | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Laws | Yeovil | 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 431 voted the same way, with 25 voting in opposite ways.
There were 28 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])
=
431
(431 + 25 + 0.2x162)
=
431
488.4
=
0.882
=
88.2 %.