Comparison of Divisions: Equality Bill — Decline Second Reading — 11 May 2009 at 21:45 with Division No. 104 on 29 Apr 2009 at 15:49
(Swap the two divisions around).
The motion rejected by the majority of MPs in this vote was:
-
That this House
-
declines to give a Second Reading to the Equality Bill because it fails to address the root causes of the reduction in social mobility in recent years, fails to address the disability pay gap, especially in the Civil Service, gives employment tribunals too many powers in areas where they are not best placed to judge, contains disproportionate and bureaucratic proposals on the gender pay gap which will impose unnecessary costs on business whilst failing to solve the problem, fails to implement proposals on compulsory pay audits for those organisations which are found guilty of discrimination by an employment tribunal, gives Ministers the power to amend the Act by order instead of leaving this to Parliament, and allows discrimination in recruitment and promotion decisions.
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) |
Hywel Francis | Aberavon | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Reid | Airdrie and Shotts | Lab | no |
absent |
Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Michael Weir | Angus | SNP (front bench) | no |
aye |
Alan Reid | Argyll and Bute | LDem (front bench) | absent |
tellaye |
Nick Herbert | Arundel and South Downs | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Geoff Hoon | Ashfield | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
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 |
John Mann | Bassetlaw | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Don Foster | Bath | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | no |
aye |
Martin Linton | Battersea | Lab | no |
absent |
Patrick Hall | Bedford | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Peter Robinson | Belfast East | DUP | absent |
aye |
Nigel Dodds | Belfast North | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alasdair McDonnell | Belfast South | SDLP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Alan Beith | Berwick-upon-Tweed | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Michael Moore | Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Graham Stuart | Beverley and Holderness | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Evennett | Bexleyheath and Crayford | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Frank Field | Birkenhead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Gisela Stuart | Birmingham, Edgbaston | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath | Lab | no |
absent |
John Hemming | Birmingham, Yardley | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Joan Humble | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Gordon Marsden | Blackpool South | Lab | no |
aye |
Dai Davies | Blaenau Gwent | Independent | no |
aye |
Ronnie Campbell | Blyth Valley | Lab | no |
absent |
David Crausby | Bolton North East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ruth Kelly | Bolton West | Lab | absent |
no |
Joe Benton | Bootle | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tobias Ellwood | Bournemouth East | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Roger Williams | Brecon and Radnorshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Sarah Teather | Brent East | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Madeleine Moon | Bridgend | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ian Cawsey | Brigg and Goole | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Stephen Williams | Bristol West | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Bob Neill | Bromley and Chislehurst | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
John Bercow | Buckingham | whilst Con (front bench) | no |
aye |
Kitty Ussher | Burnley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Chaytor | Bury North | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ivan Lewis | Bury South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Ruffley | Bury St Edmunds | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Hywel Williams | Caernarfon | PC (front bench) | no |
aye |
John Thurso | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
David Howarth | Cambridge | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Jennifer Willott | Cardiff Central | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Alun Michael | Cardiff South and Penarth | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Adam Price | Carmarthen East and Dinefwr | PC (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Nick Ainger | Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tom Brake | Carshalton and Wallington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | whilst Independent (front bench) | no |
aye |
Mark Williams | Ceredigion | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Stephen Dorrell | Charnwood | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mark Hunter | Cheadle | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Horwood | Cheltenham | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Holmes | Chesterfield | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Iain Duncan Smith | Chingford and Woodford Green | Con | absent |
aye |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Hugh Bayley | City of York | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Shona McIsaac | Cleethorpes | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
David Jones | Clwyd West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Bob Russell | Colchester | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Betty Williams | Conwy | Lab | no |
absent |
Jamie Reed | Copeland | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Edward Timpson | Crewe and Nantwich | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby | Lab | no |
absent |
Andrew Pelling | Croydon Central | whilst Independent (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Ottaway | Croydon South | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jon Cruddas | Dagenham | Lab | no |
absent |
Alan Milburn | Darlington | Lab | absent |
no |
Howard Stoate | Dartford | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Hanson | Delyn | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Margaret Beckett | Derby South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Caroline Flint | Don Valley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Stewart Hosie | Dundee East | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Willie Rennie | Dunfermline and West Fife | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Steve Pound | Ealing North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Sammy Wilson | East Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jo Swinson | East Dunbartonshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Gregory Campbell | East Londonderry | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anne Moffat | East Lothian | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jim Murphy | East Renfrewshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Greg Knight | East Yorkshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Christopher Huhne | Eastleigh | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Nigel Griffiths | Edinburgh South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Alistair Darling | Edinburgh South West | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Barrett | Edinburgh West | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Colin Burgon | Elmet | Lab | no |
absent |
David Burrowes | Enfield, Southgate | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Julia Goldsworthy | Falmouth and Camborne | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Hugh Robertson | Faversham and Mid Kent | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | no |
absent |
Michael Howard | Folkestone and Hythe | Con | absent |
aye |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Edward Leigh | Gainsborough | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Vernon Coaker | Gedling | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Mason | Glasgow East | SNP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow North West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Malcolm Bruce | Gordon | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Peter Viggers | Gosport | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Martin Caton | Gower | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Austin Mitchell | Great Grimsby | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab | no |
aye |
Anne Milton | Guildford | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Diane Abbott | Hackney North and Stoke Newington | Lab | no |
aye |
Linda Riordan | Halifax | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | no |
aye |
Phil Willis | Harrogate and Knaresborough | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Douglas Carswell | Harwich | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | no |
aye |
Andrew Stunell | Hazel Grove | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Jim Dobbin | Heywood and Middleton | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Lynne Featherstone | Hornsey and Wood Green | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Francis Maude | Horsham | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Celia Barlow | Hove | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Barry Sheerman | Huddersfield | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Mike Gapes | Ilford South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Danny Alexander | Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | no |
aye |
Edward Davey | Kingston and Surbiton | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Prescott | Kingston upon Hull East | Lab | no |
absent |
Gordon Brown | Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Edward O'Hara | Knowsley South | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Fabian Hamilton | Leeds North East | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Greg Mulholland | Leeds North West | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Norman Baker | Lewes | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Michael Connarty | Linlithgow and East Falkirk | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | no |
absent |
Jane Kennedy | Liverpool, Wavertree | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | whilst Independent | no |
aye |
Andy Reed | Loughborough | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Margaret Moran | Luton South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Ian McCartney | Makerfield | Lab | absent |
no |
John Whittingdale | Maldon and East Chelmsford | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Graham Stringer | Manchester, Blackley | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Leech | Manchester, Withington | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | absent |
aye |
Elfyn Llwyd | Meirionnydd Nant Conwy | PC (front bench) | no |
aye |
Caroline Spelman | Meriden | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Annette Brooke | Mid Dorset and North Poole | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
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 |
Paul Beresford | Mole Valley | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Lembit Öpik | Montgomeryshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Angus Robertson | Moray | SNP (front bench) | no |
aye |
Angus MacNeil | Na h-Eileanan an Iar | SNP (front bench) | no |
absent |
Patrick Mercer | Newark | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Benyon | Newbury | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
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 |
Dan Rogerson | North Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | no |
tellaye |
Nick Harvey | North Devon | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Sylvia Hermon | North Down | UUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Menzies Campbell | North East Fife | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Oliver Heald | North East Hertfordshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mark Lancaster | North East Milton Keynes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Norman Lamb | North Norfolk | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Simon Hughes | North Southwark and Bermondsey | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Roger Gale | North Thanet | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Taylor | North West Leicestershire | Lab (minister) | no |
both |
James Gray | North Wiltshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Brian Binley | Northampton South | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Steve Webb | Northavon | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Ian Gibson | Norwich North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
John Heppell | Nottingham East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Graham Allen | Nottingham North | Lab | absent |
no |
Alan Simpson | Nottingham South | Lab | no |
aye |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | no |
absent |
Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
John Horam | Orpington | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab | no |
aye |
Evan Harris | Oxford West and Abingdon | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Douglas Alexander | Paisley and Renfrewshire South | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Maclean | Penrith and The Border | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Pete Wishart | Perth and North Perthshire | SNP (front bench) | no |
aye |
Stephen Crabb | Preseli Pembrokeshire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | absent |
aye |
Martin Salter | Reading West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Nigel Evans | Ribble Valley | Con | aye |
absent |
William Hague | Richmond (Yorks) | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Susan Kramer | Richmond Park | LDem | absent |
aye |
Sandra Gidley | Romsey | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Nick Hurd | Ruislip - Northwood | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Kenneth Clarke | Rushcliffe | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Alan Duncan | Rutland and Melton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Caborn | Sheffield Central | Lab | no |
absent |
Nick Clegg | Sheffield, Hallam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Paddy Tipping | Sherwood | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Curry | Skipton and Ripon | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Fiona Mactaggart | Slough | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Lorely Burt | Solihull | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
David Heath | Somerton and Frome | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
William McCrea | South Antrim | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jim Knight | South Dorset | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Colin Breed | South East Cornwall | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Richard Bacon | South Norfolk | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Anne Snelgrove | South Swindon | Lab | no |
absent |
Jeremy Hunt | South West Surrey | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
John Pugh | Southport | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew George | St Ives | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Anne McGuire | Stirling | Lab | no |
absent |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | no |
aye |
John Maples | Stratford-on-Avon | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Keith Hill | Streatham | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Drew | Stroud | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
John Gummer | Suffolk Coastal | Con | absent |
aye |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | no |
absent |
Paul Burstow | Sutton and Cheam | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
George Osborne | Tatton | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Jeremy Browne | Taunton | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Younger-Ross | Teignbridge | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Andrew MacKinlay | Thurrock | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Adrian Sanders | Torbay | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Anthony Steen | Totnes | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Matthew Taylor | Truro and St Austell | LDem | no |
aye |
Vincent Cable | Twickenham | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Chris Ruane | Vale of Clwyd | Lab | absent |
no |
John Smith | Vale of Glamorgan | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Anne McIntosh | Vale of York | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Kate Hoey | Vauxhall | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Mary Creagh | Wakefield | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Bruce George | Walsall South | Lab | absent |
no |
Neil Gerrard | Walthamstow | Lab (minister) | no |
aye |
Mike Hall | Weaver Vale | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Grant Shapps | Welwyn Hatfield | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Robert Smith | West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | LDem (front bench) | no |
aye |
Tom Watson | West Bromwich East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
Adrian Bailey | West Bromwich West | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
Michael Spicer | West Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Tim Farron | Westmorland and Lonsdale | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Neil Turner | Wigan | Lab (minister) | no |
absent |
David Cameron | Witney | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Humfrey Malins | Woking | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Peter Bottomley | Worthing West | Con (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Richard Taylor | Wyre Forest | Independent (front bench) | no |
aye |
Paul Goggins | Wythenshawe and Sale East | Lab (minister) | absent |
no |
David Laws | Yeovil | LDem (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Albert Owen | Ynys Môn | 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 329 voted the same way, with 61 voting in opposite ways.
There were 56 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 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])
=
329
(329 + 61 + 0.2x200)
=
329
430
=
0.765
=
76.5 %.