Comparison of Divisions: Business of the House — 12 Nov 2008 at 14:18 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
I beg to move,
That, at this day's sitting, the Speaker shall put the Questions necessary to dispose of proceedings on:
Question put accordingly :-
The House divided: Ayes 258, Noes 223.
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 |
Bob Ainsworth | Coventry North East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Danny Alexander | Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Janet Anderson | Rossendale and Darwen | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Hilary Armstrong | North West Durham | Lab | absent |
no |
Charlotte Atkins | Staffordshire Moorlands | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Vera Baird | Redcar | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Edward Balls | Normanton | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Celia Barlow | Hove | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Joe Benton | Bootle | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Hazel Blears | Salford | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Blunkett | Sheffield, Brightside | Lab | absent |
no |
Crispin Blunt | Reigate | 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 |
Tom Brake | Carshalton and Wallington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Kevin Brennan | Cardiff West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gordon Brown | Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Angela Browning | Tiverton and Honiton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Richard Burden | Birmingham, Northfield | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Andy Burnham | Leigh | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Burstow | Sutton and Cheam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | aye |
absent |
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 |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Katy Clark | North Ayrshire and Arran | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | Cotswold | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | absent |
aye |
Jim Cousins | Newcastle upon Tyne Central | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Geoffrey Cox | Torridge and West Devon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab | aye |
absent |
Alistair Darling | Edinburgh South West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Edward Davey | Kingston and Surbiton | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Davies | Monmouth | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jim Devine | Livingston | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Frank Dobson | Holborn and St Pancras | Lab | absent |
no |
Brian H Donohoe | Central Ayrshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Frank Doran | Aberdeen North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Stephen Dorrell | Charnwood | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Durkan | Foyle | SDLP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Tobias Ellwood | Bournemouth East | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
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 |
Caroline Flint | Don Valley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mark Francois | Rayleigh | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Edward Garnier | Harborough | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | no |
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 |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mike Hancock | Portsmouth South | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Tom Harris | Glasgow South | Lab | absent |
no |
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 |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Mark Hendrick | Preston | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Stephen Hepburn | Jarrow | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Heppell | Nottingham East | 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 |
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 |
Beverley Hughes | Stretford and Urmston | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Brian Iddon | Bolton South East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Adam Ingram | East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow | Lab | absent |
no |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | aye |
aye |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Alan Johnson | Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Eric Joyce | Falkirk | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gerald Kaufman | Manchester, Gorton | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Keetch | Hereford | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Charles Kennedy | Ross, Skye and Lochaber | LDem | no |
absent |
Jane Kennedy | Liverpool, Wavertree | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Sadiq Khan | Tooting | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Kidney | Stafford | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Jim Knight | South Dorset | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Susan Kramer | Richmond Park | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen Ladyman | South Thanet | Lab | absent |
no |
Mark Lancaster | North East Milton Keynes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew Lansley | South Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Julian Lewis | New Forest East | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Lidington | Aylesbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | no |
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 |
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 | 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 |
Sarah McCarthy-Fry | Portsmouth North | 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) | aye |
aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | aye |
aye |
Eddie McGrady | South Down | SDLP | aye |
absent |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab | aye |
absent |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab | aye |
aye |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab | aye |
absent |
Alan Milburn | Darlington | Lab | absent |
no |
Anne Milton | Guildford | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
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 |
George Mudie | Leeds East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | 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 |
Edward O'Hara | Knowsley South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem | no |
absent |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | 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 |
John Prescott | Kingston upon Hull East | Lab | aye |
absent |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | aye |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Hugh Robertson | Faversham and Mid Kent | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab | aye |
absent |
Iris Robinson | Strangford | DUP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Dan Rogerson | North Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | absent |
tellaye |
Terry Rooney | Bradford North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Lindsay Roy | Glenrothes | Lab | absent |
no |
Bob Russell | Colchester | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Joan Ryan | Enfield North | Lab | absent |
no |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Alison Seabeck | Plymouth, Devonport | Lab | absent |
no |
Jonathan R Shaw | Chatham and Aylesford | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Siôn Simon | Birmingham, Erdington | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | absent |
aye |
David Simpson | Upper Bann | DUP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | absent |
aye |
Geraldine Smith | Morecambe and Lunesdale | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab | aye |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst UKIP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Richard Spring | West Suffolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jack Straw | Blackburn | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
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 |
Hugo Swire | East Devon | Con | absent |
aye |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | aye |
both |
Ian Taylor | Esher and Walton | Con | absent |
aye |
Matthew Taylor | Truro and St Austell | LDem | absent |
aye |
Richard Taylor | Wyre Forest | Independent (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Gareth Thomas | Harrow West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Tredinnick | Bosworth | Con | absent |
aye |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | aye |
aye |
Desmond Turner | Brighton, Kemptown | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Theresa Villiers | Chipping Barnet | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ben Wallace | Lancaster and Wyre | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con | no |
absent |
Lynda Waltho | Stourbridge | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Claire Ward | Watford | Lab (minister) | absent |
tellno |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Angela Watkinson | Upminster | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Michael Weir | Angus | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ann Widdecombe | Maidstone and The Weald | Con | 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 |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | absent |
aye |
Shaun Woodward | St Helens South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Tony Wright | Cannock Chase | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tim Yeo | South Suffolk | Con (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 18 voted the same way, with 382 voting in opposite ways.
There were 46 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 200 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])
=
382
(382 + 18 + 0.2x200)
=
382
440
=
0.868
=
86.8 %.