Comparison of Divisions: Prime Minister — Northern Ireland Bill (Allocation of Time) — 4 Mar 2009 at 14:23 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
I beg to move,
That the following provisions shall apply to the proceedings on the Northern Ireland Bill-
I beg to move amendment (a), in paragraph 1(1), leave out 'at today's sitting' and insert
'in two allotted days, which shall not be consecutive,'.
Question put, That the amendment be made.
The House divided: Ayes 213, Noes 276.
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) |
Michael Weir | Angus | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Herbert | Arundel and South Downs | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | absent |
aye |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab | no |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Gregory Barker | Bexhill and Battle | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Clare Short | Birmingham, Ladywood | whilst Independent Labour | aye |
absent |
Richard Burden | Birmingham, Northfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | no |
absent |
Jack Straw | Blackburn | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab | no |
aye |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Nick Gibb | Bognor Regis and Littlehampton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Crausby | Bolton North East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ruth Kelly | Bolton West | Lab | absent |
no |
Joe Benton | Bootle | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Tredinnick | Bosworth | Con | absent |
aye |
Tobias Ellwood | Bournemouth East | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Butterfill | Bournemouth West | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Roger Williams | Brecon and Radnorshire | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Barry Gardiner | Brent North | Lab | absent |
no |
Ann Keen | Brentford and Isleworth | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Eric Pickles | Brentwood and Ongar | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
John Bercow | Buckingham | whilst Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Wayne David | Caerphilly | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Kevin Brennan | Cardiff West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Adam Price | Carmarthen East and Dinefwr | PC (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew Tyrie | Chichester | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Iain Duncan Smith | Chingford and Woodford Green | Con | absent |
aye |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Roberta Blackman-Woods | City of Durham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Hugh Bayley | City of York | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Martyn Jones | Clwyd South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Jones | Clwyd West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Russell | Colchester | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | no |
absent |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Laura Moffatt | Crawley | Lab | absent |
no |
Malcolm Wicks | Croydon North | Lab | absent |
no |
Ann Clwyd | Cynon Valley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab | no |
absent |
Alan Milburn | Darlington | Lab | absent |
no |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Hanson | Delyn | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Adam Ingram | East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow | Lab | absent |
no |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Peter Ainsworth | East Surrey | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alistair Darling | Edinburgh South West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab | no |
absent |
Chris Grayling | Epsom and Ewell | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Julia Goldsworthy | Falmouth and Camborne | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Harper | Forest of Dean | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Durkan | Foyle | SDLP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ann McKechin | Glasgow North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Adam Holloway | Gravesham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | absent |
aye |
Diane Abbott | Hackney North and Stoke Newington | Lab | absent |
aye |
Meg Hillier | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
David Davis | Haltemprice and Howden | Con | aye |
absent |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | no |
aye |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | no |
aye |
Paul Keetch | Hereford | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mark Prisk | Hertford and Stortford | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Peter Lilley | Hitchin and Harpenden | Con | absent |
aye |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | no |
aye |
John Prescott | Kingston upon Hull East | Lab | no |
absent |
Gordon Brown | Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Patricia Hewitt | Leicester West | Lab | absent |
no |
Bridget Prentice | Lewisham East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jim Dowd | Lewisham West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Jane Kennedy | Liverpool, Wavertree | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | absent |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Peter Tapsell | Louth and Horncastle | Con | absent |
aye |
Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Theresa May | Maidenhead | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ann Widdecombe | Maidstone and The Weald | Con | absent |
aye |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | absent |
aye |
Dai Havard | Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Stuart Bell | Middlesbrough | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab | no |
absent |
David Hamilton | Midlothian | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Angus Robertson | Moray | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jim Cousins | Newcastle upon Tyne Central | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | no |
absent |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Jessica Morden | Newport East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Edward Balls | Normanton | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Katy Clark | North Ayrshire and Arran | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
James Arbuthnot | North East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Oliver Heald | North East Hertfordshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Bernard Jenkin | North Essex | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Michael Wills | North Swindon | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Roger Gale | North Thanet | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | no |
absent |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | absent |
both |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | no |
aye |
Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Horam | Orpington | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | absent |
aye |
David Maclean | Penrith and The Border | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Linda Gilroy | Plymouth, Sutton | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | no |
aye |
Justine Greening | Putney | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Vera Baird | Redcar | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
William Hague | Richmond (Yorks) | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Denis MacShane | Rotherham | Lab | no |
absent |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Greenway | Ryedale | Con | aye |
absent |
Robert Key | Salisbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Robert Goodwill | Scarborough and Whitby | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Blunkett | Sheffield, Brightside | Lab | absent |
no |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Daniel Kawczynski | Shrewsbury and Atcham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Douglas Hogg | Sleaford and North Hykeham | Con | absent |
aye |
Fiona Mactaggart | Slough | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Andrew Lansley | South Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Todd | South Derbyshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Eddie McGrady | South Down | SDLP | aye |
absent |
Colin Breed | South East Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Bacon | South Norfolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Borrow | South Ribble | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tim Yeo | South Suffolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab | no |
absent |
Andrew Selous | South West Bedfordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jeremy Hunt | South West Surrey | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Denham | Southampton, Itchen | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Wilshire | Spelthorne | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Dave Watts | St Helens North | Lab (minister) | absent |
tellno |
Shaun Woodward | St Helens South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
James Purnell | Stalybridge and Hyde | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab | no |
absent |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | absent |
aye |
Bill Cash | Stone | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Maples | Stratford-on-Avon | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Chris Mullin | Sunderland South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Brian Jenkins | Tamworth | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Richard Younger-Ross | Teignbridge | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Angela Browning | Tiverton and Honiton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Geoffrey Cox | Torridge and West Devon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anthony Steen | Totnes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Vincent Cable | Twickenham | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Simpson | Upper Bann | DUP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Smith | Vale of Glamorgan | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anne McIntosh | Vale of York | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Ed Vaizey | Wantage | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Helen Southworth | Warrington South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Charles Hendry | Wealden | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Patrick McLoughlin | West Derbyshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab | no |
absent |
David Cameron | Witney | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Humfrey Malins | Woking | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Richard Taylor | Wyre Forest | Independent (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 392 voted the same way, with 18 voting in opposite ways.
There were 48 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 188 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])
=
392
(392 + 18 + 0.2x188)
=
392
447.6
=
0.876
=
87.6 %.