Comparison of Divisions: Cost of Living — Calls for a review of mechanisms — rejected — 9 Jul 2008 at 16:20 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49

(Swap the two divisions around).

Vote (a) : Cost of Living — Calls for a review of mechanisms — rejected - 9 Jul 2008 at 16:20 - Division No. 259

The majority of MPs voted against the motion, which read:[1]

  • This House
  • recognises the recent increases in food and fuel costs combined with the abolition of the 10 pence tax band, and the effect these are having on the most disadvantaged in society; and
  • calls for a review of all mechanisms, including the use of extra revenue raised through increased crude oil prices, winter fuel payments and family tax credits, to assist those on lower and medium incomes.

An alternative motion was substituted in its place in the next division.[2]

Vote (b) : Gurkha Settlement Rights — Government defeat - 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49 - Division No. 104

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]

Public Whip is run as a free not-for-profit service. If you'd like to support us, please consider switching your (UK) electricity and/or gas to Octopus Energy or tip us via Ko-Fi.

Difference in Votes - sorted by party

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)

NameConstituencyPartyVote (a)Vote (b)
Brian BinleyNorthampton SouthCon (front bench)aye absent
Tim BoswellDaventryCon (front bench)aye absent
John ButterfillBournemouth WestCon (front bench)aye absent
Nigel EvansRibble ValleyConaye absent
James GrayNorth WiltshireCon (front bench)aye absent
John GreenwayRyedaleConaye absent
Oliver HealdNorth East HertfordshireCon (front bench)aye absent
David Heathcoat-AmoryWellsCon (front bench)aye absent
John HoramOrpingtonCon (front bench)aye absent
Julie KirkbrideBromsgroveCon (front bench)aye absent
Peter LuffMid WorcestershireCon (front bench)aye absent
Humfrey MalinsWokingCon (front bench)aye absent
John MaplesStratford-on-AvonCon (front bench)aye absent
Francis MaudeHorshamCon (front bench)aye absent
Malcolm MossNorth East CambridgeshireCon (front bench)aye absent
David MundellDumfriesshire, Clydesdale and TweeddaleCon (front bench)aye absent
Owen PatersonNorth ShropshireCon (front bench)aye absent
John StanleyTonbridge and MallingCon (front bench)aye absent
David WilshireSpelthorneCon (front bench)aye absent
James ArbuthnotNorth East HampshireCon (front bench)absent aye
Tony BaldryBanburyConabsent aye
Gregory BarkerBexhill and BattleCon (front bench)absent aye
Paul BeresfordMole ValleyCon (front bench)absent aye
Peter BottomleyWorthing WestCon (front bench)absent aye
Graham BradyAltrincham and Sale WestCon (front bench)absent aye
David BurrowesEnfield, SouthgateCon (front bench)absent aye
David CameronWitneyCon (front bench)absent aye
Bill CashStoneCon (front bench)absent aye
Geoffrey Clifton-BrownCotswoldCon (front bench)absent aye
David DaviesMonmouthCon (front bench)absent aye
Philip DaviesShipleyConabsent aye
Jonathan DjanoglyHuntingdonCon (front bench)absent aye
Stephen DorrellCharnwoodCon (front bench)absent aye
Nadine DorriesMid BedfordshireCon (front bench)absent aye
Mark FieldCities of London and WestminsterCon (front bench)absent aye
Liam FoxWoodspringCon (front bench)absent aye
Edward GarnierHarboroughCon (front bench)absent aye
David GaukeSouth West HertfordshireCon (front bench)absent aye
Robert GoodwillScarborough and WhitbyCon (front bench)absent aye
Michael GoveSurrey HeathCon (front bench)absent aye
Chris GraylingEpsom and EwellCon (front bench)absent aye
Philip HammondRunnymede and WeybridgeCon (front bench)absent aye
Greg HandsHammersmith and FulhamCon (front bench)absent aye
Mark HobanFarehamCon (front bench)absent aye
Adam HollowayGraveshamCon (front bench)absent aye
Michael HowardFolkestone and HytheConabsent aye
Stewart JacksonPeterboroughCon (front bench)absent aye
Bernard JenkinNorth EssexCon (front bench)absent aye
David JonesClwyd WestCon (front bench)absent aye
Andrew LansleySouth CambridgeshireCon (front bench)absent aye
Edward LeighGainsboroughCon (front bench)absent aye
Andrew MacKayBracknellCon (front bench)absent aye
Patrick MercerNewarkCon (front bench)absent aye
Andrew MitchellSutton ColdfieldCon (front bench)absent aye
George OsborneTattonCon (front bench)absent aye
Mike PenningHemel HempsteadCon (front bench)absent aye
Richard ShepherdAldridge-BrownhillsCon (front bench)absent aye
Nicholas SoamesMid SussexCon (front bench)absent aye
Caroline SpelmanMeridenCon (front bench)absent aye
Anthony SteenTotnesCon (front bench)absent aye
Hugo SwireEast DevonConabsent aye
Peter ViggersGosportCon (front bench)absent aye
Charles WalkerBroxbourneCon (front bench)absent aye
Nigel WatersonEastbourneCon (front bench)absent aye
Ann WiddecombeMaidstone and The WealdConabsent aye
Rob WilsonReading EastCon (front bench)absent aye
Tim YeoSouth SuffolkCon (front bench)absent aye
David SimpsonUpper BannDUP (front bench)aye absent
Jeffrey M. DonaldsonLagan ValleyDUP (front bench)absent aye
Andrew PellingCroydon Centralwhilst Independent (front bench)absent aye
Bob SpinkCastle Pointwhilst Independent (front bench)absent aye
Richard TaylorWyre ForestIndependent (front bench)absent aye
Robert WareingLiverpool, West Derbywhilst Independentabsent aye
Diane AbbottHackney North and Stoke NewingtonLabno aye
Ian CawseyBrigg and GooleLab (minister)no aye
Harry CohenLeyton and WansteadLab (minister)no aye
Jeremy CorbynIslington NorthLabno aye
Paul FarrellyNewcastle-under-LymeLab (minister)no aye
Mark FisherStoke-on-Trent CentralLabno aye
Neil GerrardWalthamstowLab (minister)no aye
Kelvin HopkinsLuton NorthLab (minister)no aye
Joan HumbleBlackpool North and FleetwoodLab (minister)no aye
Andrew MacKinlayThurrockLab (minister)no aye
Gordon MarsdenBlackpool SouthLabno aye
John Martin McDonnellHayes and HarlingtonLabno aye
Shona McIsaacCleethorpesLabno aye
Julie MorganCardiff NorthLab (minister)no aye
Nick PalmerBroxtoweLab (minister)no aye
Steve PoundEaling NorthLab (minister)no aye
Nick RaynsfordGreenwich and WoolwichLabno aye
Andy ReedLoughboroughLab (minister)no aye
Linda RiordanHalifaxLab (minister)no aye
Alan SimpsonNottingham SouthLabno aye
Andrew SmithOxford EastLabno aye
Paul TruswellPudseyLabno aye
Keith VazLeicester EastLab (minister)no aye
John AustinErith and ThamesmeadLab (minister)no absent
Adrian BaileyWest Bromwich WestLab (minister)no absent
John BattleLeeds WestLab (minister)no absent
Hilary BennLeeds CentralLab (minister)no absent
Karen BuckRegent's Park and Kensington NorthLab (minister)no absent
Richard BurdenBirmingham, NorthfieldLab (minister)no absent
Colin BurgonElmetLabno absent
Stephen ByersNorth TynesideLabno absent
Richard CabornSheffield CentralLabno absent
Ronnie CampbellBlyth ValleyLabno absent
Michael ClaphamBarnsley West and PenistoneLab (minister)no absent
Claire Curtis-ThomasCrosbyLab (minister)no absent
Bill EtheringtonSunderland NorthLabno absent
Paul FlynnNewport WestLab (minister)no absent
Mike GapesIlford SouthLab (minister)no absent
Ian GibsonNorwich NorthLab (minister)no absent
Roger GodsiffBirmingham, Sparkbrook and Small HeathLabno absent
Mike HallWeaver ValeLab (minister)no absent
Patrick HallBedfordLab (minister)no absent
Fabian HamiltonLeeds North EastLab (minister)no absent
David HeyesAshton-under-LyneLab (minister)no absent
Meg HillierHackney South and ShoreditchLab (minister)no absent
Geoff HoonAshfieldLab (minister)no absent
Lindsay HoyleChorleyLab (minister)no absent
Eric IllsleyBarnsley CentralLab (minister)no absent
Siân JamesSwansea EastLab (minister)no absent
Martyn JonesClwyd SouthLab (minister)no absent
Peter KilfoyleLiverpool, WaltonLabno absent
Ashok KumarMiddlesbrough South and East ClevelandLab (minister)no absent
Ivan LewisBury SouthLab (minister)no absent
Martin LintonBatterseaLab (minister)no absent
Denis MacShaneRotherhamLabno absent
Judy MallaberAmber ValleyLab (minister)no absent
John MannBassetlawLab (minister)no absent
Chris McCaffertyCalder ValleyLabno absent
Alan MealeMansfieldLabno absent
Ed MilibandDoncaster NorthLab (minister)no absent
Austin MitchellGreat GrimsbyLab (minister)no absent
Anne MoffatEast LothianLab (minister)no absent
Kali MountfordColne ValleyLab (minister)no absent
Greg PopeHyndburnLab (minister)no absent
Bridget PrenticeLewisham EastLab (minister)no absent
Bill RammellHarlowLab (minister)no absent
Jamie ReedCopelandLab (minister)no absent
John RobertsonGlasgow North WestLab (minister)no absent
Martin SalterReading WestLab (minister)no absent
Marsha SinghBradford WestLab (minister)no absent
Anne SnelgroveSouth SwindonLab (minister)no absent
Gavin StrangEdinburgh EastLab (minister)no absent
Gisela StuartBirmingham, EdgbastonLab (minister)no absent
Paddy TippingSherwoodLab (minister)no absent
Neil TurnerWiganLab (minister)no absent
Rudi VisFinchley and Golders GreenLabno absent
Betty WilliamsConwyLabno absent
Shaun WoodwardSt Helens SouthLab (minister)no absent
Anthony D WrightGreat YarmouthLab (minister)no absent
Kate HoeyVauxhallLab (minister)absent aye
Glenda JacksonHampstead and HighgateLababsent aye
Robert Marshall-AndrewsMedwayLababsent aye
Mike WoodBatley and SpenLababsent aye
Nick AingerCarmarthen West and South PembrokeshireLab (minister)absent no
Ian AustinDudley NorthLab (minister)absent no
David BorrowSouth RibbleLab (minister)absent no
Gordon BrownKirkcaldy and CowdenbeathLab (minister)absent no
Lyn BrownWest HamLab (minister)absent no
Des BrowneKilmarnock and LoudounLab (minister)absent no
Rosie CooperWest LancashireLab (minister)absent no
David CrausbyBolton North EastLab (minister)absent no
Alistair DarlingEdinburgh South WestLab (minister)absent no
Ian DavidsonGlasgow South WestLab (minister)absent no
David DrewStroudLab (minister)absent no
Natascha EngelNorth East DerbyshireLababsent no
Barbara FollettStevenageLab (minister)absent no
Barry GardinerBrent NorthLab (minister)absent no
Dai HavardMerthyr Tydfil and RhymneyLab (minister)absent no
Keith HillStreathamLab (minister)absent no
John HuttonBarrow and FurnessLab (minister)absent no
Adam IngramEast Kilbride, Strathaven and LesmahagowLababsent no
Huw Irranca-DaviesOgmoreLab (minister)absent no
Kevan JonesNorth DurhamLab (minister)absent no
Jim KnightSouth DorsetLab (minister)absent no
Andrew LoveEdmontonLab (minister)absent no
John McFallWest DunbartonshireLab (minister)absent no
Ann McKechinGlasgow NorthLab (minister)absent no
Gillian MerronLincolnLab (minister)absent no
Jim MurphyEast RenfrewshireLab (minister)absent no
Dawn PrimaroloBristol SouthLab (minister)absent no
Frank RoyMotherwell and WishawLab (minister)absent no
Lindsay RoyGlenrothesLababsent no
Helen SouthworthWarrington SouthLab (minister)absent no
Gareth ThomasHarrow WestLab (minister)absent no
Mark ToddSouth DerbyshireLab (minister)absent no
David TaylorNorth West LeicestershireLab (minister)absent both
Alistair CarmichaelOrkney and ShetlandLDem (front bench)aye absent
Sandra GidleyRomseyLDem (front bench)aye absent
Mike HancockPortsmouth SouthLDem (front bench)aye absent
Paul KeetchHerefordLDem (front bench)aye absent
Mark OatenWinchesterLDem (front bench)aye absent
Lembit ÖpikMontgomeryshireLDem (front bench)aye absent
Jo SwinsonEast DunbartonshireLDem (front bench)aye absent
Norman BakerLewesLDem (front bench)absent aye
Jeremy BrowneTauntonLDem (front bench)absent aye
Nick CleggSheffield, HallamLDem (front bench)absent aye
Edward DaveyKingston and SurbitonLDem (front bench)absent aye
David HowarthCambridgeLDem (front bench)absent aye
Susan KramerRichmond ParkLDem (front bench)absent aye
Greg MulhollandLeeds North WestLDem (front bench)absent aye
Steve WebbNorthavonLDem (front bench)absent aye
Phil WillisHarrogate and KnaresboroughLDem (front bench)absent aye
Richard Younger-RossTeignbridgeLDem (front bench)absent aye
Elfyn LlwydMeirionnydd Nant ConwyPC (front bench)absent aye
Hywel WilliamsCaernarfonPC (front bench)absent aye
Alasdair McDonnellBelfast SouthSDLP (front bench)absent aye
Angus MacNeilNa h-Eileanan an IarSNP (front bench)aye absent
John MasonGlasgow EastSNPabsent aye
Bob SpinkCastle Pointwhilst UKIP (front bench)aye absent
Sylvia HermonNorth DownUUP (front bench)absent aye

Division Similarity Ratio

The measure of similarity between these two divisions is a calculation based on a comparison of their votes.

There were 644 MPs who could have voted in both of these divisions, and 389 voted the same way, with 23 voting in opposite ways. There were 47 MPs who didn't vote in either division, and 185 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])
=
389
(389 + 23 + 0.2x185)
=
389
449
= 0.866 = 86.6 %.


About the Project

The Public Whip is a not-for-profit, open source website created in 2003 by Francis Irving and Julian Todd and now run by Bairwell Ltd.

The Whip on the Web

Help keep PublicWhip alive