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