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