Comparison of Divisions: Pensioner Poverty — Welcomes the policies of this Government — 4 Jun 2008 at 18:49 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
The majority of MPs voted in favour of the motion:[1]
-
This House
-
welcomes the policies of this Government to tackle pensioner poverty, which have lifted around two million pensioners out of absolute poverty and over one million out of relative poverty, and have led to spending of around £12 billion extra on pensioners compared with 1997;
-
recognises that pension credit allows pensioners to live with dignity and rewards those who have saved for their own retirement;
-
acknowledges the introduction of and increases to the winter fuel payment and further measures to ensure pensioners can keep warm;
-
notes the provision of free off-peak bus travel granting freedom to pensioners and ensuring that they are not isolated in their own community;
-
welcomes the long-term framework for pensions through the Pensions Act 2007, including relinking the basic state pension to average earnings and ensuring equality for women and carers with men by 2025; and
-
further welcomes the private pension reforms in the Pensions Bill which will enable individuals to take personal responsibility for their own retirement.
This had been substituted in place of an earlier motion that was rejected.[2]
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 | absent |
aye |
Danny Alexander | Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey | LDem | absent |
aye |
Douglas Alexander | Paisley and Renfrewshire South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Charlotte Atkins | Staffordshire Moorlands | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Tony Baldry | Banbury | Con | absent |
aye |
Kevin Barron | Rother Valley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Hugh Bayley | City of York | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Peter Bone | Wellingborough | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Peter Bottomley | Worthing West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ben Bradshaw | Exeter | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
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 |
David Burrowes | Enfield, Southgate | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Butterfill | Bournemouth West | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | aye |
absent |
Richard Caborn | Sheffield Central | Lab | aye |
absent |
David Cameron | Witney | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Campbell | Tynemouth | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gregory Campbell | East Londonderry | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab | aye |
absent |
Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Christopher Chope | Christchurch | Con (front bench) | absent |
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 |
David Clelland | Tyne Bridge | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ann Clwyd | Cynon Valley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Derek Conway | Old Bexley and Sidcup | whilst Independent (front bench) | no |
absent |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | aye |
aye |
Mary Creagh | Wakefield | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab | aye |
absent |
David Curry | Skipton and Ripon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alistair Darling | Edinburgh South West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | whilst Lab (front bench) | absent |
no |
David Davis | Haltemprice and Howden | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Andrew Dismore | Hendon | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Nigel Dodds | Belfast North | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen Dorrell | Charnwood | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Natascha Engel | North East Derbyshire | Lab | absent |
no |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Lynne Featherstone | Hornsey and Wood Green | LDem | absent |
aye |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mark Field | Cities of London and Westminster | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | aye |
aye |
Liam Fox | Woodspring | Con (front bench) | 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 |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | no |
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 Grogan | Selby | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Harriet Harman | Camberwell and Peckham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Nick Herbert | Arundel and South Downs | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Meg Hillier | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mark Hoban | Fareham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Douglas Hogg | Sleaford and North Hykeham | Con | absent |
aye |
Geoff Hoon | Ashfield | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
John Horam | Orpington | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Stewart Hosie | Dundee East | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Gerald Howarth | Aldershot | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Howell | Henley | Con | absent |
aye |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Jeremy Hunt | South West Surrey | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Hutton | Barrow and Furness | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | absent |
aye |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Susan Kramer | Richmond Park | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jacqui Lait | Beckenham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Laxton | Derby North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Leech | Manchester, Withington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ian Liddell-Grainger | Bridgwater | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Tim Loughton | East Worthing and Shoreham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Khalid Mahmood | Birmingham, Perry Barr | Lab | 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 |
William McCrea | South Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | aye |
aye |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab | aye |
aye |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Andrew Miller | Ellesmere Port and Neston | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anne Milton | Guildford | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew Mitchell | Sutton Coldfield | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Austin Mitchell | Great Grimsby | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jessica Morden | Newport East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Meg Munn | Sheffield, Heeley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Andrew Murrison | Westbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Doug Naysmith | Bristol North West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bob Neill | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
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 |
James Paice | South East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Ian Pearson | Dudley South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Eric Pickles | Brentwood and Ongar | 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 |
Gordon Prentice | Pendle | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Pugh | Southport | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ken Purchase | Wolverhampton North East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | aye |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
John Reid | Airdrie and Shotts | Lab | aye |
absent |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Laurence Robertson | Tewkesbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Peter Robinson | Belfast East | DUP | absent |
aye |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Joan Ryan | Enfield North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Richard Shepherd | Aldridge-Brownhills | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | aye |
aye |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | aye |
aye |
John Smith | Vale of Glamorgan | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst UKIP (front bench) | no |
absent |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
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 |
Gerry Sutcliffe | Bradford South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | aye |
both |
Gareth Thomas | Harrow West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Stephen Timms | East Ham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | aye |
aye |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Kitty Ussher | Burnley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Claire Ward | Watford | Lab (minister) | absent |
tellno |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Ann Widdecombe | Maidstone and The Weald | Con | absent |
aye |
David Willetts | Havant | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Roger Williams | Brecon and Radnorshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Rob Wilson | Reading East | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Sammy Wilson | East Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ann Winterton | Congleton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nicholas Winterton | Macclesfield | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Rosie Winterton | Doncaster Central | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | aye |
aye |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
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
645 MPs who could have voted in both of these divisions,
and 23 voted the same way, with 397 voting in opposite ways.
There were 61 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 164 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])
=
397
(397 + 23 + 0.2x164)
=
397
452.8
=
0.877
=
87.7 %.