European Union Economic Governance — 10 Nov 2010 at 18:30

The majority of MPs approved the Government's position that any sanctions proposed by the EU in relation to economic governance do not apply to the UK.

The approved motion stated:

  • That this House:
  • takes note of European Union Documents
  • (a) 9433/10, Commission Communication on reinforcing economic policy co-ordination,
  • (b) 11807/10, Commission Communication on enhancing economic policy co-ordination for stability, growth and jobs - tools for stronger EU economic governance,
  • (c) 14496/10, Proposal for a Council Regulation (EU) amending Regulation (EC) No. 1467/97 on speeding up and clarifying the implementation of the excessive deficit procedure,
  • (d) 14497/10, Proposal for a Council Directive on requirements for budgetary frameworks of the Member States,
  • (e) 14498/10, Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the effective enforcement of budgetary surveillance in the euro area,
  • (f) 14512/10, Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on enforcement measures to correct excessive macroeconomic imbalances in the euro area,
  • (g) 14515/10, Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the prevention and correction of macroeconomic imbalances, and
  • (h) 14520/10, Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No. 1466/97 on the strengthening of the surveillance of budgetary positions and the surveillance and co-ordination of economic policies;
  • notes the Report from the Task Force on Economic Governance in the European Union;
  • notes with approval that budgetary and fiscal information will continue to be presented to Parliament before being given to EU20 institutions; and
  • approves the Government's position, as endorsed by the Task Force that any sanctions proposed should not apply to the United Kingdom in consideration of Protocol 15 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.

The Minister introducing the motion, Conservative MP Mark Hoban the Financial Secretary to The Treasury said[1]:

  • People should listen and read the documents to which we have subscribed, and understand how firm and robust the Government have been in defending our economic sovereignty.

During debate some of his fellow Conservatives expressed doubts, John Redwood MP said[2]:

  • Surely the Minister must confirm that that is a massive extension of European economic government, and the UK has to comply with a lot of it.

To which Minister Hoban responded: "we are exempt from the sanctions regime that the Commission and others have proposed, which applies only to eurozone countries."

Conservative MP Douglas Carswell claimed the UK was subjected to the new EU economic governance regime saying[3]:

  • Paragraph 34 of the Van Rompuy report states that there will be a new legal framework
  • "applying to all EU Member States".
  • Can the Minister explain what part of "all" excludes Britain?

Mr Carswell explained his vote saying:

  • I cannot support the motion, as it will mean a further transfer of powers from this country to Brussels.

Presumably other MPs, who believe the minister, and oppose the transfer of powers from the UK to Brussels might have voted for the motion, which as written merely: "approves the Government's position that any sanctions proposed by the EU in relation to economic governance do not apply to the UK".

It is only the approves element of the motion which actually expresses a position; the other parts of the motion are merely noting items; they are not the operative phrases.

Some MPs such as Mr Carswell appear to have taken a different view on what they were voting on; they appear to have interpreted the vote as being on the content of all the documents cited in the motion.

As the motion stated the Government is taking a "position"; it indicates that it the Government stance is at odds with another viewpoint and implies the matter of if the UK is subject to EU economic governance sanctions is a matter for debate. MPs supporting this motion appear to be supporting the Government in opposing the EU having the power to apply sanctions to the UK in relation to economic governance issues. Despite motion being on support for Government taking a conservative stance towards the EU in this division Euroskeptic Conservative MPs like Mr Redwood and Mr Carswell have voted against their Government.

Three strongly euroskeptic amendments to the motion were proposed, but were not selected for debate by the speaker.[4]

Debate in Parliament | Source |

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All Votes Cast - sorted by party

MPs for which their vote in this division differed from the majority vote of their party are marked in red. Also shows which MPs were ministers at the time of this vote. You can also see every eligible MP including those who did not vote in this division.

Sort by: Name | Constituency | Party | Vote

NameConstituencyPartyVote
Naomi LongBelfast EastAlliance (front bench)aye
Nigel AdamsSelby and AinstyConaye
Peter AldousWaveneyCon (front bench)aye
Sir David AmessSouthend WestCon (front bench)aye
Stuart AndrewPudseyCon (front bench)aye
James ArbuthnotNorth East HampshireCon (front bench)aye
Richard BaconSouth NorfolkCon (front bench)aye
Tony BaldryBanburyCon (front bench)aye
Harriett BaldwinWest WorcestershireCon (front bench)aye
Gregory BarkerBexhill and BattleCon (front bench)aye
Gavin BarwellCroydon CentralCon (front bench)aye
Guto BebbAberconwyCon (front bench)aye
Henry BellinghamNorth West NorfolkCon (front bench)aye
Richard BenyonNewburyCon (front bench)aye
Paul BeresfordMole ValleyCon (front bench)aye
Jake BerryRossendale and DarwenConaye
Andrew BinghamHigh PeakConaye
Bob BlackmanHarrow EastCon (front bench)aye
Nicola BlackwoodOxford West and AbingdonCon (front bench)aye
Crispin BluntReigateCon (front bench)aye
Nicholas BolesGrantham and StamfordConaye
Peter BottomleyWorthing WestCon (front bench)aye
Karen BradleyStaffordshire MoorlandsCon (front bench)aye
Angie BrayEaling Central and ActonConaye
Julian BrazierCanterburyCon (front bench)aye
Steve BrineWinchesterConaye
James BrokenshireOld Bexley and SidcupCon (front bench)aye
Robert BucklandSouth SwindonCon (front bench)aye
Aidan BurleyCannock ChaseCon (front bench)aye
Conor BurnsBournemouth WestConaye
Simon BurnsChelmsfordCon (front bench)aye
David BurrowesEnfield, SouthgateConaye
Alistair BurtNorth East BedfordshireCon (front bench)aye
Dan BylesNorth WarwickshireCon (front bench)aye
Alun CairnsVale of GlamorganCon (front bench)aye
Neil CarmichaelStroudCon (front bench)aye
Rehman ChishtiGillingham and RainhamConaye
Greg ClarkTunbridge WellsCon (front bench)aye
Kenneth ClarkeRushcliffeCon (front bench)aye
Therese CoffeySuffolk CoastalConaye
Damian CollinsFolkestone and HytheConaye
Oliver ColvilePlymouth, Sutton and DevonportCon (front bench)aye
Stephen CrabbPreseli PembrokeshireCon (front bench)aye
David DaviesMonmouthCon (front bench)aye
Glyn DaviesMontgomeryshireConaye
Nick de BoisEnfield NorthCon (front bench)aye
Caroline DinenageGosportConaye
Jonathan DjanoglyHuntingdonCon (front bench)aye
Stephen DorrellCharnwoodCon (front bench)aye
Nadine DorriesMid BedfordshireCon (front bench)aye
Jackie Doyle-PriceThurrockCon (front bench)aye
James DuddridgeRochford and Southend EastCon (front bench)aye
Alan DuncanRutland and MeltonCon (front bench)aye
Iain Duncan SmithChingford and Woodford GreenCon (front bench)aye
Philip DunneLudlowCon (front bench)aye
Michael EllisNorthampton NorthCon (front bench)aye
Jane EllisonBatterseaCon (front bench)aye
Tobias EllwoodBournemouth EastConaye
Charlie ElphickeDoverCon (front bench)aye
Graham EvansWeaver ValeConaye
Jonathan EvansCardiff NorthConaye
David EvennettBexleyheath and CrayfordConaye
Michael FabricantLichfieldCon (front bench)aye
Michael FallonSevenoaksCon (front bench)aye
Mark FieldCities of London and WestminsterCon (front bench)aye
Mark FrancoisRayleigh and WickfordCon (front bench)aye
George FreemanMid NorfolkCon (front bench)aye
Mike FreerFinchley and Golders GreenCon (front bench)aye
Lorraine FullbrookSouth RibbleCon (front bench)aye
Richard FullerBedfordConaye
Roger GaleNorth ThanetCon (front bench)aye
Edward GarnierHarboroughCon (front bench)aye
Mark GarnierWyre ForestCon (front bench)aye
David GaukeSouth West HertfordshireCon (front bench)aye
Nick GibbBognor Regis and LittlehamptonCon (front bench)aye
Dame Cheryl GillanChesham and AmershamCon (front bench)aye
John GlenSalisburyCon (front bench)aye
Robert GoodwillScarborough and WhitbyCon (front bench)aye
Richard GrahamGloucesterCon (front bench)aye
Helen GrantMaidstone and The WealdCon (front bench)aye
Chris GraylingEpsom and EwellCon (front bench)aye
Damian GreenAshfordCon (front bench)aye
Dominic GrieveBeaconsfieldCon (front bench)aye
Andrew GriffithsBurtonCon (front bench)aye
Ben GummerIpswichCon (front bench)aye
Sam GyimahEast SurreyCon (front bench)aye
Robert HalfonHarlowCon (front bench)aye
Philip HammondRunnymede and WeybridgeCon (front bench)aye
Stephen HammondWimbledonConaye
Matthew HancockWest SuffolkCon (front bench)aye
Greg HandsChelsea and FulhamConaye
Mark HarperForest of DeanCon (front bench)aye
Richard HarringtonWatfordCon (front bench)aye
Rebecca HarrisCastle PointCon (front bench)aye
Simon HartCarmarthen West and South PembrokeshireCon (front bench)aye
Alan HaselhurstSaffron WaldenCon (front bench)aye
John HayesSouth Holland and The DeepingsCon (front bench)aye
Oliver HealdNorth East HertfordshireCon (front bench)aye
Chris Heaton-HarrisDaventryCon (front bench)aye
Charles HendryWealdenCon (front bench)aye
Nick HerbertArundel and South DownsCon (front bench)aye
Damian HindsEast HampshireCon (front bench)aye
Mark HobanFarehamCon (front bench)aye
George HollingberyMeon ValleyCon (front bench)aye
Kris HopkinsKeighleyConaye
Gerald HowarthAldershotCon (front bench)aye
John HowellHenleyConaye
Jeremy HuntSouth West SurreyCon (front bench)aye
Nick HurdRuislip, Northwood and PinnerCon (front bench)aye
Margot JamesStourbridgeCon (front bench)aye
Sajid JavidBromsgroveCon (front bench)aye
Gareth JohnsonDartfordConaye
Jo JohnsonOrpingtonCon (front bench)aye
Andrew JonesHarrogate and KnaresboroughCon (front bench)aye
David JonesClwyd WestCon (front bench)aye
Marcus JonesNuneatonConaye
Daniel KawczynskiShrewsbury and AtchamConaye
Simon KirbyBrighton, KemptownCon (front bench)aye
Greg KnightEast YorkshireCon (front bench)aye
Kwasi KwartengSpelthorneCon (front bench)aye
Eleanor LaingEpping ForestCon (front bench)aye
Mark LancasterMilton Keynes NorthConaye
Andrew LansleySouth CambridgeshireCon (front bench)aye
Pauline LathamMid DerbyshireCon (front bench)aye
Andrea LeadsomSouth NorthamptonshireCon (front bench)aye
Jessica LeeErewashCon (front bench)aye
Phillip LeeBracknellCon (front bench)aye
Jeremy LefroyStaffordCon (front bench)aye
Charlotte LeslieBristol North WestCon (front bench)aye
Oliver LetwinWest DorsetCon (front bench)aye
Brandon LewisGreat YarmouthCon (front bench)aye
Ian Liddell-GraingerBridgwater and West SomersetCon (front bench)aye
David LidingtonAylesburyCon (front bench)aye
Peter LilleyHitchin and HarpendenConaye
Jack LoprestiFilton and Bradley StokeCon (front bench)aye
Jonathan LordWokingConaye
Tim LoughtonEast Worthing and ShorehamCon (front bench)aye
Peter LuffMid WorcestershireCon (front bench)aye
Karen LumleyRedditchCon (front bench)aye
Mary MacleodBrentford and IsleworthConaye
Francis MaudeHorshamCon (front bench)aye
Theresa MayMaidenheadCon (front bench)aye
Paul MaynardBlackpool North and CleveleysCon (front bench)aye
Karl McCartneyLincolnConaye
Anne McIntoshThirsk and MaltonCon (front bench)aye
Patrick McLoughlinDerbyshire DalesCon (front bench)aye
Stephen McPartlandStevenageConaye
Esther McVeyWirral WestConaye
Louise MenschCorbyConaye
Mark MenziesFyldeCon (front bench)aye
Patrick MercerNewarkConaye
Stephen MetcalfeSouth Basildon and East ThurrockCon (front bench)aye
Maria MillerBasingstokeCon (front bench)aye
Nigel MillsAmber ValleyCon (front bench)aye
Penny MordauntPortsmouth NorthCon (front bench)aye
Nicky MorganLoughboroughConaye
Anne Marie MorrisNewton AbbotConaye
David MorrisMorecambe and LunesdaleCon (front bench)aye
James MorrisHalesowen and Rowley RegisCon (front bench)aye
Stephen MosleyCity of ChesterCon (front bench)aye
David MowatWarrington SouthCon (front bench)aye
David MundellDumfriesshire, Clydesdale and TweeddaleCon (front bench)aye
Sheryll MurraySouth East CornwallCon (front bench)aye
Andrew MurrisonSouth West WiltshireConaye
Bob NeillBromley and ChislehurstCon (front bench)aye
Brooks NewmarkBraintreeCon (front bench)tellaye
Sarah NewtonTruro and FalmouthCon (front bench)aye
Caroline NokesRomsey and Southampton NorthCon (front bench)aye
Jesse NormanHereford and South HerefordshireCon (front bench)aye
Matthew OffordHendonConaye
Eric OllerenshawLancaster and FleetwoodConaye
Guy OppermanHexhamConaye
Richard OttawayCroydon SouthCon (front bench)aye
James PaiceSouth East CambridgeshireCon (front bench)aye
Neil ParishTiverton and HonitonCon (front bench)aye
Owen PatersonNorth ShropshireCon (front bench)aye
Mark PawseyRugbyConaye
Mike PenningHemel HempsteadCon (front bench)aye
John PenroseWeston-Super-MareCon (front bench)aye
Claire PerryDevizesCon (front bench)aye
Stephen PhillipsSleaford and North HykehamCon (front bench)aye
Eric PicklesBrentwood and OngarCon (front bench)aye
Christopher PincherTamworthCon (front bench)aye
Daniel PoulterCentral Suffolk and North IpswichConaye
Mark PriskHertford and StortfordCon (front bench)aye
John RandallUxbridge and South RuislipCon (front bench)aye
Malcolm RifkindKensingtonCon (front bench)aye
Andrew RobathanSouth LeicestershireCon (front bench)aye
Hugh RobertsonFaversham and Mid KentCon (front bench)aye
Andrew RosindellRomfordCon (front bench)aye
Amber RuddHastings and RyeCon (front bench)aye
David RuffleyBury St EdmundsConaye
David RutleyMacclesfieldCon (front bench)aye
Laura SandysSouth ThanetCon (front bench)aye
Lee ScottIlford NorthConaye
Andrew SelousSouth West BedfordshireCon (front bench)aye
Grant ShappsWelwyn HatfieldCon (front bench)aye
Alok SharmaReading WestCon (front bench)aye
Alec ShelbrookeElmet and RothwellConaye
Mark SimmondsBoston and SkegnessConaye
Keith SimpsonBroadlandConaye
Chris SkidmoreKingswoodCon (front bench)aye
Chloe SmithNorwich NorthCon (front bench)aye
Henry SmithCrawleyCon (front bench)aye
Julian SmithSkipton and RiponCon (front bench)aye
Nicholas SoamesMid SussexConaye
Anna SoubryBroxtoweCon (front bench)aye
Caroline SpelmanMeridenCon (front bench)aye
Mark SpencerSherwoodCon (front bench)aye
John StanleyTonbridge and MallingCon (front bench)aye
Andrew StephensonPendleConaye
John StevensonCarlisleConaye
Bob StewartBeckenhamCon (front bench)aye
Iain StewartMilton Keynes SouthCon (front bench)aye
Rory StewartPenrith and The BorderCon (front bench)aye
Gary StreeterSouth West DevonCon (front bench)aye
Mel StrideCentral DevonCon (front bench)aye
Graham StuartBeverley and HoldernessCon (front bench)aye
Julian SturdyYork OuterCon (front bench)aye
Desmond SwayneNew Forest WestConaye
Robert SymsPooleCon (front bench)aye
Edward TimpsonCrewe and NantwichConaye
Justin TomlinsonNorth SwindonConaye
David TredinnickBosworthCon (front bench)aye
Elizabeth TrussSouth West NorfolkConaye
Andrew TyrieChichesterCon (front bench)aye
Paul UppalWolverhampton South WestConaye
Ed VaizeyWantageCon (front bench)aye
Shailesh VaraNorth West CambridgeshireCon (front bench)aye
Theresa VilliersChipping BarnetCon (front bench)aye
Robin WalkerWorcesterConaye
Ben WallaceWyre and Preston NorthConaye
Angela WatkinsonHornchurch and UpminsterCon (front bench)aye
Mike WeatherleyHoveCon (front bench)aye
James WhartonStockton SouthCon (front bench)aye
Heather WheelerSouth DerbyshireCon (front bench)aye
Chris WhiteWarwick and LeamingtonCon (front bench)aye
Craig WhittakerCalder ValleyCon (front bench)aye
John WhittingdaleMaldonCon (front bench)aye
Bill WigginNorth HerefordshireCon (front bench)aye
Gavin WilliamsonSouth StaffordshireCon (front bench)aye
Rob WilsonReading EastConaye
Sarah WollastonTotnesCon (front bench)aye
Jeremy WrightKenilworth and SouthamCon (front bench)tellaye
Tim YeoSouth SuffolkCon (front bench)aye
George YoungNorth West HampshireCon (front bench)aye
Nadhim ZahawiStratford-on-AvonCon (front bench)aye
Steven BakerWycombeCon (front bench)no
Brian BinleyNorthampton SouthCon (front bench)no
Peter BoneWellingboroughCon (front bench)tellno
Andrew BridgenNorth West LeicestershireCon (front bench)no
Douglas CarswellClactonConno
Bill CashStoneCon (front bench)no
Christopher ChopeChristchurchCon (front bench)no
James ClappisonHertsmereCon (front bench)no
Philip DaviesShipleyCon (front bench)no
David DavisHaltemprice and HowdenConno
Richard DraxSouth DorsetCon (front bench)no
James GrayNorth WiltshireCon (front bench)no
Gordon HendersonSittingbourne and SheppeyCon (front bench)no
Philip HolloboneKetteringCon (front bench)no
Julian LewisNew Forest EastCon (front bench)no
Jason McCartneyColne ValleyConno
David NuttallBury NorthCon (front bench)no
Andrew PercyBrigg and GooleCon (front bench)no
Dominic RaabEsher and WaltonCon (front bench)no
Mark RecklessRochester and StroodCon (front bench)tellno
John RedwoodWokinghamConno
Richard ShepherdAldridge-BrownhillsCon (front bench)no
Peter TapsellLouth and HorncastleCon (front bench)no
Andrew TurnerIsle of WightCon (front bench)no
Martin VickersCleethorpesConno
Nigel DoddsBelfast NorthDUP (front bench)no
Jeffrey M. DonaldsonLagan ValleyDUP (front bench)no
Ian Paisley JnrNorth AntrimDUP (front bench)no
Jim ShannonStrangfordDUP (front bench)no
David SimpsonUpper BannDUP (front bench)no
Caroline LucasBrighton, PavilionGreen (front bench)aye
Paul FlynnNewport WestLab (minister)aye
Ronnie CampbellBlyth ValleyLabno
Jeremy CorbynIslington NorthLabno
John CryerLeyton and WansteadLab (minister)no
Frank DobsonHolborn and St PancrasLabno
Roger GodsiffBirmingham, Hall GreenLabno
Kate HoeyVauxhallLab (minister)no
Kelvin HopkinsLuton NorthLab (minister)no
John Martin McDonnellHayes and HarlingtonLabno
Austin MitchellGreat GrimsbyLab (minister)no
Dennis SkinnerBolsoverLabno
Graham StringerBlackley and BroughtonLab (minister)no
Mike WoodBatley and SpenLab (minister)no
Norman BakerLewesLDem (front bench)aye
Alan BeithBerwick-upon-TweedLDem (front bench)aye
Gordon BirtwistleBurnleyLDemaye
Tom BrakeCarshalton and WallingtonLDemaye
Annette BrookeMid Dorset and North PooleLDem (front bench)aye
Jeremy BrowneTaunton DeaneLDem (front bench)aye
Malcolm BruceGordonLDem (front bench)aye
Paul BurstowSutton and CheamLDem (front bench)aye
Lorely BurtSolihullLDem (front bench)aye
Menzies CampbellNorth East FifeLDem (front bench)aye
Alistair CarmichaelOrkney and ShetlandLDem (front bench)aye
Nick CleggSheffield, HallamLDem (front bench)aye
Michael CrockartEdinburgh WestLDemaye
Edward DaveyKingston and SurbitonLDem (front bench)aye
Lynne FeatherstoneHornsey and Wood GreenLDem (front bench)aye
Don FosterBathLDemaye
Stephen GilbertSt Austell and NewquayLDem (front bench)aye
Duncan HamesChippenhamLDemaye
Mike HancockPortsmouth Southwhilst LDem (front bench)aye
David HeathSomerton and FromeLDem (front bench)aye
John HemmingBirmingham, YardleyLDem (front bench)aye
Martin HorwoodCheltenhamLDemaye
Simon HughesBermondsey and Old SouthwarkLDem (front bench)aye
Mark HunterCheadleLDem (front bench)aye
Julian HuppertCambridgeLDem (front bench)aye
Charles KennedyRoss, Skye and LochaberLDem (front bench)aye
Norman LambNorth NorfolkLDem (front bench)aye
David LawsYeovilLDemaye
Michael MooreBerwickshire, Roxburgh and SelkirkLDem (front bench)aye
Greg MulhollandLeeds North WestLDem (front bench)aye
Tessa MuntWellsLDem (front bench)aye
John PughSouthportLDem (front bench)aye
Alan ReidArgyll and ButeLDem (front bench)aye
Dan RogersonNorth CornwallLDem (front bench)aye
Bob RussellColchesterLDem (front bench)aye
Adrian SandersTorbayLDemaye
Robert SmithWest Aberdeenshire and KincardineLDem (front bench)aye
Andrew StunellHazel GroveLDem (front bench)aye
Ian SwalesRedcarLDem (front bench)aye
Jo SwinsonEast DunbartonshireLDemaye
Sarah TeatherBrent CentralLDem (front bench)aye
John ThursoCaithness, Sutherland and Easter RossLDem (front bench)aye
David WardBradford EastLDem (front bench)aye
Steve WebbThornbury and YateLDem (front bench)aye
Roger WilliamsBrecon and RadnorshireLDem (front bench)aye
Stephen WilliamsBristol WestLDem (front bench)aye
Jennifer WillottCardiff CentralLDemaye
Simon WrightNorwich SouthLDem (front bench)aye
Mark DurkanFoyleSDLP (front bench)aye

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