Seek Real Terms Cut in European Union Budget — 31 Oct 2012 at 19:00

Derek Twigg MP, Halton voted to call on the UK Government to seek a real terms cut in the European Union budget

The majority of MPs voted to call on the UK Government to seek a real terms cut in the European Union budget.

MPs were debating a motion on the UK contribution to the European Union budget. Under discussion was the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) which is the budget framework for the European Union agreed every seven years.

MP Mark Reckless proposed ammending the motion[1] which originally called on the Government to seek:

"significant savings to the Commission’s seven year framework" and stated "payment appropriations should increase, at most, by no more than inflation over the next financial perspectives"

by replacing this, and other text, with calling on the Government to

"strengthen its stance so that the next MFF is reduced in real terms"

The full motion, as amended as a result of this vote, reads:

  • That this House
  • takes note of European Union Documents No. 16844/11, No. 16845/11, No. 16846/11, No. 16847/11, No. 16848/11, No. 6708/12 and Addenda 1–3, No. 9007/12, No. 12356/12, and No. 13620/12, relating to the Commission’s proposal on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), 2014–2020;
  • agrees with the Government that at a time of ongoing economic fragility in Europe and tight constraints on domestic public spending, the Commission’s proposal for substantial spending increases compared with current spend is unacceptable, unrealistic, too large and incompatible with the tough decisions being taken in the UK and in countries across Europe to bring deficits under control;
  • so calls on the Government to strengthen its stance so that the next MFF is reduced in real terms.

Explaining his amendment Mr Reckless said[2]:

  • We simply cannot afford to agree an inflationary increase to the EU. This country has 13% less income than it had just five years ago, and we are seeing 20% reductions to domestic spending. According to the House of Commons Library, if an inflationary increase is agreed, next year it will amount to £290 million, every penny of which we will have to borrow. Hon. Members will have spoken to constituents on different issues, and police officers have been to my surgery. They understand that their pay is frozen, although they are less happy about changes to their pay and conditions and about not getting their increments, but they do not understand why other elements of the budget, particularly the EU, should be guaranteed inflationary increases, let alone inflationary increases all the way through to 2020.

The original motion text and the text of the amendment are also present in Hansard.

Debate in Parliament | Source |

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Party Summary

Votes by party, red entries are votes against the majority for that party.

What is Tell? '+1 tell' means that in addition one member of that party was a teller for that division lobby.

What are Boths? An MP can vote both aye and no in the same division. The boths page explains this.

What is Turnout? This is measured against the total membership of the party at the time of the vote.

PartyMajority (Aye)Minority (No)BothTurnout
Alliance0 10100.0%
Con51 (+2 tell) 236 (+1 tell)095.1%
DUP5 0062.5%
Green1 00100.0%
Lab244 0096.4%
LDem0 55 (+1 tell)098.2%
PC0 2066.7%
SNP6 00100.0%
Total:307 294095.4%

Rebel Voters - sorted by party

MPs for which their vote in this division differed from the majority vote of their party. You can see all votes in this division, or every eligible MP who could have voted in this division

Sort by: Name | Constituency | Party | Vote

NameConstituencyPartyVote
Steven BakerWycombeCon (front bench)aye
John BaronBasildon and BillericayCon (front bench)aye
Andrew BinghamHigh PeakConaye
Brian BinleyNorthampton SouthCon (front bench)aye
Peter BoneWellingboroughCon (front bench)tellaye
Andrew BridgenNorth West LeicestershireCon (front bench)aye
Aidan BurleyCannock ChaseCon (front bench)aye
Conor BurnsBournemouth WestConaye
Douglas CarswellClactonConaye
Bill CashStoneCon (front bench)aye
Christopher ChopeChristchurchCon (front bench)aye
James ClappisonHertsmereCon (front bench)aye
Tracey CrouchChatham and AylesfordConaye
Philip DaviesShipleyCon (front bench)aye
David DavisHaltemprice and HowdenConaye
Nick de BoisEnfield NorthCon (front bench)aye
Nadine DorriesMid BedfordshireCon (front bench)aye
Richard DraxSouth DorsetCon (front bench)aye
Zac GoldsmithRichmond ParkCon (front bench)aye
James GrayNorth WiltshireCon (front bench)aye
Chris Heaton-HarrisDaventryCon (front bench)aye
Gordon HendersonSittingbourne and SheppeyCon (front bench)aye
Philip HolloboneKetteringCon (front bench)tellaye
Adam HollowayGraveshamConaye
Stewart JacksonPeterboroughCon (front bench)aye
Bernard JenkinHarwich and North EssexCon (front bench)aye
Chris KellyDudley SouthCon (front bench)aye
Edward LeighGainsboroughCon (front bench)aye
Julian LewisNew Forest EastCon (front bench)aye
Jack LoprestiFilton and Bradley StokeCon (front bench)aye
Anne MainSt AlbansCon (front bench)aye
Karl McCartneyLincolnConaye
Stephen McPartlandStevenageConaye
Nigel MillsAmber ValleyCon (front bench)aye
David NuttallBury NorthCon (front bench)aye
Andrew PercyBrigg and GooleCon (front bench)aye
Mark PritchardThe WrekinCon (front bench)aye
Mark RecklessRochester and StroodCon (front bench)aye
John RedwoodWokinghamConaye
Simon ReevellDewsburyCon (front bench)aye
Laurence RobertsonTewkesburyCon (front bench)aye
Andrew RosindellRomfordCon (front bench)aye
David RuffleyBury St EdmundsCon (front bench)aye
Richard ShepherdAldridge-BrownhillsCon (front bench)aye
Henry SmithCrawleyCon (front bench)aye
Bob StewartBeckenhamCon (front bench)aye
Peter TapsellLouth and HorncastleCon (front bench)aye
Andrew TurnerIsle of WightCon (front bench)aye
Martin VickersCleethorpesConaye
James WhartonStockton SouthCon (front bench)aye
Heather WheelerSouth DerbyshireCon (front bench)aye
John WhittingdaleMaldonCon (front bench)aye
Sarah WollastonTotnesCon (front bench)aye

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