Comparison of Divisions: Iraq War Inquiry — Declines to make a proposal — 25 Mar 2009 at 15:51 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
The majority of MPs voted against holding a further inquiry into the Iraq war at this time but to agree a time will come when an inquiry is appropriate.
The majority of MPs voted for the motion, which read:[1]
-
This House
-
notes the Resolutions of this House of 31 October 2006,[2] 11 June 2007[3] and 25 March 2008[4] on an Iraq inquiry;
-
recognises the heroic efforts of the British armed forces in Iraq who have a continuing role which this House should be careful not to undermine;
-
further recognises that a time will come when an inquiry is appropriate, but
-
declines to make a proposal for a further inquiry at this time, whilst important operations are underway in Iraq to support the people and government of Iraq.
(The Prime Minister's Spokesman had insisted that he thought it was okay to make an announcement on when troops would return, but continue to stonewall the announcement of an inquiry whilst the Armed Forces were still operational in Iraq.)[5]
This replaced a motion that was rejected in the previous vote.
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 | aye |
aye |
Michael Ancram | Devizes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Edward Balls | Normanton | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Hugh Bayley | City of York | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Hilary Benn | Leeds Central | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Bercow | Buckingham | whilst Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Crispin Blunt | Reigate | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Gordon Brown | Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Malcolm Bruce | Gordon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Butterfill | Bournemouth West | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Stephen Byers | North Tyneside | Lab | aye |
absent |
Richard Caborn | Sheffield Central | Lab | aye |
absent |
Gregory Campbell | East Londonderry | DUP (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Menzies Campbell | North East Fife | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab | aye |
absent |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Ben Chapman | Wirral South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Charles Clarke | Norwich South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Ann Clwyd | Cynon Valley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Patrick Cormack | South Staffordshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jim Cousins | Newcastle upon Tyne Central | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab | aye |
absent |
Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby | Lab | aye |
absent |
David Davis | Haltemprice and Howden | Con | no |
absent |
John Denham | Southampton, Itchen | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Nigel Dodds | Belfast North | DUP (front bench) | aye |
aye |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Drew | Stroud | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mark Durkan | Foyle | SDLP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Clive Efford | Eltham | Lab | absent |
no |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Nigel Evans | Ribble Valley | Con | no |
absent |
Paul Farrelly | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Lynne Featherstone | Hornsey and Wood Green | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | absent |
aye |
Paul Flynn | Newport West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | no |
absent |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
John Greenway | Ryedale | Con | no |
absent |
John Grogan | Selby | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mike Hancock | Portsmouth South | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
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 |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | aye |
aye |
David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Meg Hillier | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab | 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 |
John Horam | Orpington | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Stewart Hosie | Dundee East | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
George Howarth | Knowsley North and Sefton East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Kim Howells | Pontypridd | Lab | absent |
no |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Eric Illsley | Barnsley Central | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | absent |
aye |
Siân James | Swansea East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Daniel Kawczynski | Shrewsbury and Atcham | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Keetch | Hereford | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Charles Kennedy | Ross, Skye and Lochaber | LDem | no |
absent |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Ashok Kumar | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | Lab | aye |
absent |
Mark Lancaster | North East Milton Keynes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab | aye |
absent |
Peter Luff | Mid Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Angus MacNeil | Na h-Eileanan an Iar | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Khalid Mahmood | Birmingham, Perry Barr | Lab | aye |
absent |
Shahid Malik | Dewsbury | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
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 |
Chris McCafferty | Calder Valley | Lab | aye |
absent |
William McCrea | South Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jim McGovern | Dundee West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab | aye |
absent |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Rosemary McKenna | Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | aye |
absent |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab | aye |
absent |
David Miliband | South Shields | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Ed Miliband | Doncaster North | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Austin Mitchell | Great Grimsby | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Mundell | Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Meg Munn | Sheffield, Heeley | Lab | absent |
no |
Jim Murphy | East Renfrewshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Paul Murphy | Torfaen | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Doug Naysmith | Bristol North West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Edward O'Hara | Knowsley South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mark Oaten | Winchester | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Richard Ottaway | Croydon South | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Owen Paterson | North Shropshire | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Bridget Prentice | Lewisham East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Gordon Prentice | Pendle | Lab (minister) | no |
no |
John Prescott | Kingston upon Hull East | Lab | aye |
absent |
Mark Pritchard | The Wrekin | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | aye |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | aye |
aye |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Reid | Airdrie and Shotts | Lab | aye |
absent |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Peter Robinson | Belfast East | DUP | absent |
aye |
Paul Rowen | Rochdale | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
David Ruffley | Bury St Edmunds | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alex Salmond | Banff and Buchan | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mark Simmonds | Boston and Skegness | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Simpson | Upper Bann | DUP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | aye |
aye |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab | aye |
absent |
Peter Soulsby | Leicester South | Lab (minister) | no |
no |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | aye |
aye |
John Stanley | Tonbridge and Malling | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Graham Stringer | Manchester, Blackley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Dari Taylor | Stockton South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | both |
both |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | absent |
aye |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | aye |
absent |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con | no |
absent |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | aye |
absent |
David Wilshire | Spelthorne | Con (front bench) | no |
absent |
Sammy Wilson | East Antrim | DUP (front bench) | aye |
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 |
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 19 voted the same way, with 448 voting in opposite ways.
There were 30 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 149 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])
=
448
(448 + 19 + 0.2x149)
=
448
496.8
=
0.902
=
90.2 %.