Comparison of Divisions: Income Tax — Abolition of 10% starting rate — 18 Mar 2008 at 21:41 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
The majority of MPs voted to delete all references to the "starting rate" of taxation[1] in the Income Tax Act 2007.[2] This left only the "basic rate", whose limit was moved from £33,300[3] to £36,000 and the "higher rate" of income tax.
This change in taxation was mentioned in the April 2007 budget,[4] but questions about its consequences went unanswered.[5]
Two months after the April 2007 budget, a law which would have required the Government to produce an assessment of how any change in personal taxation would affect the different income groups was voted down by a majority of MPs.[6]
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 |
Kevin Barron | Rother Valley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Hazel Blears | Salford | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Blunkett | Sheffield, Brightside | Lab | absent |
no |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Colin Breed | South East Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gordon Brown | Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
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 |
Dawn Butler | Brent South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
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 |
Richard Caborn | Sheffield Central | Lab | aye |
absent |
David Cameron | Witney | Con (front bench) | 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 |
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 |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab (minister) | aye |
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 |
Ann Cryer | Keighley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Dai Davies | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | aye |
aye |
David Davis | Haltemprice and Howden | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gwyneth Dunwoody | Crewe and Nantwich | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Natascha Engel | North East Derbyshire | Lab | absent |
no |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Nigel Evans | Ribble Valley | Con | no |
absent |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | aye |
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 |
Liam Fox | Woodspring | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Christopher Fraser | South West Norfolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Nick Gibb | Bognor Regis and Littlehampton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | aye |
absent |
Paul Goggins | Wythenshawe and Sale East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Gove | Surrey Heath | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
John Greenway | Ryedale | Con | no |
absent |
John Gummer | Suffolk Coastal | Con | absent |
aye |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Hamilton | Midlothian | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mike Hancock | Portsmouth South | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
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 |
Stephen Hepburn | Jarrow | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Meg Hillier | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab (minister) | 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 |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | absent |
aye |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
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 |
Ann Keen | Brentford and Isleworth | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Keetch | Hereford | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Charles Kennedy | Ross, Skye and Lochaber | LDem | no |
absent |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Greg Knight | East Yorkshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jacqui Lait | Beckenham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Lammy | Tottenham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab | aye |
absent |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Angus MacNeil | Na h-Eileanan an Iar | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
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 | aye |
aye |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | aye |
aye |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
Michael Mates | East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Francis Maude | Horsham | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | aye |
absent |
Kerry McCarthy | Bristol East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ian McCartney | Makerfield | Lab | absent |
no |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | aye |
aye |
Eddie McGrady | South Down | SDLP | aye |
absent |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab | aye |
aye |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab | aye |
absent |
Gillian Merron | Lincoln | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Austin Mitchell | Great Grimsby | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Denis Murphy | Wansbeck | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jim Murphy | East Renfrewshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Doug Naysmith | Bristol North West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Stephen O'Brien | Eddisbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Edward O'Hara | Knowsley South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
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 |
Mark Pritchard | The Wrekin | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
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 |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Iris Robinson | Strangford | DUP | no |
absent |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Alex Salmond | Banff and Buchan | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | aye |
aye |
David Simpson | Upper Bann | DUP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | aye |
aye |
Jacqui Smith | Redditch | 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 |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent Conservative (front bench) | no |
absent |
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 |
Graham Stuart | Beverley and Holderness | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Robert Syms | Poole | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Tami | Alyn and Deeside | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | aye |
both |
Richard Taylor | Wyre Forest | Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mark Todd | South Derbyshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | aye |
aye |
Kitty Ussher | Burnley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Shailesh Vara | North West Cambridgeshire | 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 |
David Willetts | Havant | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | aye |
absent |
Roger Williams | Brecon and Radnorshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Wilshire | Spelthorne | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Sammy Wilson | East Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | aye |
aye |
Tony Wright | Cannock Chase | 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 25 voted the same way, with 426 voting in opposite ways.
There were 36 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 159 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])
=
426
(426 + 25 + 0.2x159)
=
426
482.8
=
0.882
=
88.2 %.