Comparison of Divisions: Fuel Duty — Balance against oil prices — rejected — 16 Jul 2008 at 18:50 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
The majority of MPs voted against the motion, which read:[1]
-
This House
-
notes that oil prices are now almost $150 per barrel;
-
further notes that diesel in the UK is the most expensive in Europe; acknowledges the sharp rises in fuel prices over the past year and the resulting impact on headline inflation figures;
-
recognises the financial pressure this places on hard-pressed families already struggling with soaring food and housing costs;
-
condemns the Government's continued dithering over the implementation of the two pence increase in fuel duty, planned for the autumn, as neither a sustainable nor a stable way to make tax policy;
-
further notes that a balancing mechanism to adjust fuel duty in line with changes in the price of oil would have reduced the current price of petrol by five pence per litre since March 2008; and
-
calls upon the Government to consider the implementation of such a balancing mechanism to ensure that the burden of rising oil prices is shared fairly between government and families, the sensitivity of the public finances to changing oil prices is reduced and the cost of carbon can be stabilised to send consistent environmental signals.
In its place the an alternative motion was proposed:[2]
-
This House
-
recognises the pressure that the increase in fuel prices, caused by pressures from the international oil market, has put on business and families;
-
welcomes the Chancellor's decision to defer the planned two pence per litre increase in fuel duty that was due to take place in April 2008;
-
notes that while fuel prices have increased by over 20 per cent. since last October, fuel duty has stayed constant;
-
also notes that had the escalator introduced in 1993 been in place since 1999, fuel duty would now be 29 pence per litre higher;
-
supports the Government's global leadership on this issue, in particular at the recent Jeddah Energy Meeting, and welcomes the Government's intention to host a follow up to this meeting in London later this year;
-
further recognises that the Government does not receive a significant windfall when oil prices rise, because any additional revenues from the North Sea are likely to be offset by other effects; and
-
therefore further notes that a system which would automatically cut fuel duty when oil prices rise would be destabilising, creating volatility for the public finances and uncertainty for the financing of public services, and would create considerable pressure for tax increases elsewhere.
which passed without a further vote.
Note that when this proposal was made to the Finance Act earlier in the year to actually establish such a balancing mechanism in law, virtually no Libdem or Conservative MPs voted either way.[3]
Citizens interested in the subject might also be interested in another scheme relating to rural petrol prices which was proposed at the same time.[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 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 | no |
aye |
Danny Alexander | Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Richard Bacon | South Norfolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Norman Baker | Lewes | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
John Barrett | Edinburgh West | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alan Beith | Berwick-upon-Tweed | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Richard Benyon | Newbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Crispin Blunt | Reigate | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Borrow | South Ribble | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Peter Bottomley | Worthing West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tom Brake | Carshalton and Wallington | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Colin Breed | South East Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Annette Brooke | Mid Dorset and North Poole | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Gordon Brown | Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Lyn Brown | West Ham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Russell Brown | Dumfries and Galloway | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Des Browne | Kilmarnock and Loudoun | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jeremy Browne | Taunton | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Malcolm Bruce | Gordon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Richard Burden | Birmingham, Northfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Paul Burstow | Sutton and Cheam | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
John Butterfill | Bournemouth West | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | no |
absent |
Vincent Cable | Twickenham | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Richard Caborn | Sheffield Central | Lab | no |
absent |
David Cairns | Inverclyde | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gregory Campbell | East Londonderry | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Menzies Campbell | North East Fife | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Paul Clark | Gillingham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Derek Conway | Old Bexley and Sidcup | whilst Independent (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | no |
aye |
Edward Davey | Kingston and Surbiton | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Ian Davidson | Glasgow South West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Frank Dobson | Holborn and St Pancras | Lab | absent |
no |
Brian H Donohoe | Central Ayrshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Nadine Dorries | Mid Bedfordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Natascha Engel | North East Derbyshire | Lab | absent |
no |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | no |
absent |
Nigel Evans | Ribble Valley | Con | aye |
absent |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Tim Farron | Westmorland and Lonsdale | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lynne Featherstone | Hornsey and Wood Green | LDem | no |
aye |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | absent |
aye |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Don Foster | Bath | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Liam Fox | Woodspring | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Hywel Francis | Aberavon | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Andrew George | St Ives | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | no |
absent |
Julia Goldsworthy | Falmouth and Camborne | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Greenway | Ryedale | Con | aye |
absent |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mike Hancock | Portsmouth South | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Evan Harris | Oxford West and Abingdon | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Tom Harris | Glasgow South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Nick Harvey | North Devon | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Oliver Heald | North East Hertfordshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Heath | Somerton and Frome | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Hemming | Birmingham, Yardley | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | no |
absent |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Douglas Hogg | Sleaford and North Hykeham | Con | absent |
aye |
Paul Holmes | Chesterfield | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Jimmy Hood | Lanark and Hamilton East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Geoff Hoon | Ashfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Martin Horwood | Cheltenham | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Stewart Hosie | Dundee East | SNP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Howarth | Cambridge | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Simon Hughes | North Southwark and Bermondsey | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Christopher Huhne | Eastleigh | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Jeremy Hunt | South West Surrey | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Hunter | Cheadle | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
John Hutton | Barrow and Furness | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | absent |
aye |
Stewart Jackson | Peterborough | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | no |
absent |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Greg Knight | East Yorkshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Susan Kramer | Richmond Park | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Norman Lamb | North Norfolk | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
David Laws | Yeovil | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
John Leech | Manchester, Withington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Elfyn Llwyd | Meirionnydd Nant Conwy | PC (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Denis MacShane | Rotherham | Lab | no |
absent |
Fiona Mactaggart | Slough | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anne Main | St Albans | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Humfrey Malins | Woking | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Maples | Stratford-on-Avon | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab | no |
aye |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | no |
aye |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP | absent |
aye |
Francis Maude | Horsham | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
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 | no |
aye |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab | no |
aye |
Rosemary McKenna | Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | no |
absent |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab | no |
absent |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Madeleine Moon | Bridgend | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Moore | Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Kali Mountford | Colne Valley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Greg Mulholland | Leeds North West | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Jim Murphy | East Renfrewshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bob Neill | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
James Paice | South East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Ian Pearson | Dudley South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Bridget Prentice | Lewisham East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Pugh | Southport | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Ken Purchase | Wolverhampton North East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | no |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alan Reid | Argyll and Bute | LDem (front bench) | absent |
tellaye |
Willie Rennie | Dunfermline and West Fife | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Angus Robertson | Moray | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Dan Rogerson | North Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | no |
tellaye |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Frank Roy | Motherwell and Wishaw | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Joan Ruddock | Lewisham, Deptford | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bob Russell | Colchester | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Joan Ryan | Enfield North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Adrian Sanders | Torbay | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Mohammad Sarwar | Glasgow Central | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Richard Shepherd | Aldridge-Brownhills | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Siôn Simon | Birmingham, Erdington | Lab | absent |
no |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | no |
aye |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | no |
aye |
Robert Smith | West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Helen Southworth | Warrington South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst UKIP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Richard Spring | West Suffolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anthony Steen | Totnes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ian Stewart | Eccles | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gary Streeter | South West Devon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Graham Stuart | Beverley and Holderness | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew Stunell | Hazel Grove | LDem | no |
aye |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | no |
both |
Matthew Taylor | Truro and St Austell | LDem | no |
aye |
Richard Taylor | Wyre Forest | Independent (front bench) | no |
aye |
Sarah Teather | Brent East | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
John Thurso | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | absent |
aye |
Ed Vaizey | Wantage | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | no |
absent |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con | aye |
absent |
Lynda Waltho | Stourbridge | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | no |
aye |
Steve Webb | Northavon | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Michael Weir | Angus | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | no |
absent |
Mark Williams | Ceredigion | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen Williams | Bristol West | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Phil Willis | Harrogate and Knaresborough | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Jennifer Willott | Cardiff Central | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
David Wilshire | Spelthorne | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Sammy Wilson | East Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | no |
aye |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jeremy Wright | Rugby and Kenilworth | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tim Yeo | South Suffolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Younger-Ross | Teignbridge | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
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 374 voted the same way, with 65 voting in opposite ways.
There were 52 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 154 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])
=
374
(374 + 65 + 0.2x154)
=
374
469.8
=
0.796
=
79.6 %.