Comparison of Divisions: Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 — Renewal of indefinite detention — 3 Mar 2004 at 19:50 with Division No. 76 on 21 Nov 2001 at 20:45
(Swap the two divisions around).
The majority of MPs voted in favour of the continued power of sections 21 to 23 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 (Part 4).[1][2]
The MPs who voted against the original law, voted in favour of renewing it. In particular, the vast majority of members of the Conservative Party who abstained on the original law chose to renew it.[3]
Without this motion, the powers of the Home Secretary to certify a foreign national as a suspected terrorist and detain him indefinitely would have expired under a sunset clause in the Act.[4]
The first renewal of this section had been debated and passed without a vote.[5]
This was the second time these powers were renewed by Parliament. The Home Secretary had presented his case for it in a Ministerial Statement.[6] The Joint Committee On Human Rights presented the detailed opposition to the provisions a month later,[7] but they were finally declared unconstitutional at the end of the year partly on the basis that there was no "public emergency threatening the life of the nation" which would be necessary to justify this detainment regime.[8]
A recent list of of statutory instruments relating to terrorism that are renewed by Parliament is here.
The majority of MPs voted in favour of setting up a scheme which allowed for the indefinite detention without charge of a "suspected international terrorist".[1][2]
(This vote followed one which set up a scheme whereby the Home Secretary could issue a certificate that someone is an international terrorist.)[3]
Specifically, these powers were exercised under the laws enabling the arrest and detention of non-UK citizens pending deportation[4] despite the fact that removal or departure from the United Kingdom is prevented by international law (eg they would be tortured or killed in the country they were sent to).
In practice up to 20 suspects were held in secret in Belmarsh without access to the evidence against them.[5]
As this breached the European Convention on Human Rights, the United Kingdom applied a derogation by declaring that there was a public emergency threatening the existence of the nation.[6] This declaration was approved by a vote of MPs two days later.[7]
Owing to a Sunset Clause in the Act, these powers had to be renewed approximately annually until 2006.[8]
The 2003 renewal by Parliament followed a debate without a vote.[8] The 2004 renewal of the powers was voted on without a debate.[9]
In December 2004 the Law Lords ruled that the application of these laws violated the Human Rights Act because it discriminated against non-citizens (UK citizens could just as well be terrorists, but would not be subject to this law) and that there was in fact no evident threat to the life of the nation. Furthermore, they added that such a threat -- in the sense of a people living in accordance with its traditional laws and political values -- "comes not from terrorism but from laws such as these."[10]
The state of public emergency was accordingly lifted in 2005,[11] and the suspects were released to serve under a regime of Control orders.
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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) |
Peter Ainsworth | East Surrey | Con | aye |
absent |
Michael Ancram | Devizes | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
James Arbuthnot | North East Hampshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Peter Atkinson | Hexham | Con | aye |
absent |
Richard Bacon | South Norfolk | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Tony Baldry | Banbury | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Gregory Barker | Bexhill and Battle | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Baron | Billericay | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Henry Bellingham | North West Norfolk | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Bercow | Buckingham | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Crispin Blunt | Reigate | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Tim Boswell | Daventry | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Peter Bottomley | Worthing West | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Graham Brady | Altrincham and Sale West | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Julian Brazier | Canterbury | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Simon Burns | West Chelmsford | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Alistair Burt | North East Bedfordshire | Con | aye |
absent |
David Cameron | Witney | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Bill Cash | Stone | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Sir Sydney Chapman | Chipping Barnet | Con | aye |
absent |
James Clappison | Hertsmere | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | Cotswold | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mr Tim Collins | Westmorland and Lonsdale | Con | aye |
absent |
Patrick Cormack | South Staffordshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Curry | Skipton and Ripon | Con | aye |
absent |
Quentin Davies | Grantham and Stamford | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Jonathan Djanogly | Huntingdon | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mr Peter Duncan | Galloway and Upper Nithsdale | Con | aye |
absent |
Nigel Evans | Ribble Valley | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Michael Fabricant | Lichfield | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mark Field | Cities of London and Westminster | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mr Adrian Flook | Taunton | Con | aye |
absent |
Edward Garnier | Harborough | Con | aye |
absent |
Nick Gibb | Bognor Regis and Littlehampton | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Dame Cheryl Gillan | Chesham and Amersham | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Paul Goodman | Wycombe | Con | aye |
absent |
Chris Grayling | Epsom and Ewell | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Damian Green | Ashford | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Greenway | Ryedale | Con | aye |
absent |
Dominic Grieve | Beaconsfield | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Gummer | Suffolk Coastal | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
William Hague | Richmond (Yorks) | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mr Nick Hawkins | Surrey Heath | Con | aye |
absent |
Oliver Heald | North East Hertfordshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Heathcoat-Amory | Wells | Con | aye |
absent |
Charles Hendry | Wealden | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mark Hoban | Fareham | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Horam | Orpington | Con | aye |
absent |
Michael Howard | Folkestone and Hythe | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Gerald Howarth | Aldershot | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Michael Jack | Fylde | Con | aye |
absent |
Boris Johnson | Henley | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Robert Key | Salisbury | Con | aye |
absent |
Julie Kirkbride | Bromsgrove | Con | aye |
absent |
Greg Knight | East Yorkshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Eleanor Laing | Epping Forest | Con | aye |
absent |
Jacqui Lait | Beckenham | Con | aye |
absent |
Andrew Lansley | South Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Oliver Letwin | West Dorset | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Lidington | Aylesbury | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Tim Loughton | East Worthing and Shoreham | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew MacKay | Bracknell | Con | aye |
absent |
Michael Mates | East Hampshire | Con | aye |
absent |
Dr Brian Mawhinney | North West Cambridgeshire | Con | aye |
absent |
Theresa May | Maidenhead | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Anne McIntosh | Vale of York | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Patrick McLoughlin | West Derbyshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Patrick Mercer | Newark | Con | aye |
absent |
Malcolm Moss | North East Cambridgeshire | Con | aye |
absent |
Andrew Murrison | Westbury | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mr Archie Norman | Tunbridge Wells | Con | aye |
absent |
Stephen O'Brien | Eddisbury | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
George Osborne | Tatton | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Richard Ottaway | Croydon South | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
James Paice | South East Cambridgeshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mr Michael Portillo | Kensington and Chelsea | Con | aye |
absent |
John Randall | Uxbridge | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
John Redwood | Wokingham | Con | aye |
absent |
Laurence Robertson | Tewkesbury | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Rosindell | Romford | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Andrew Selous | South West Bedfordshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mrs Gillian Shephard | South West Norfolk | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mark Simmonds | Boston and Skegness | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Keith Simpson | Mid Norfolk | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Caroline Spelman | Meriden | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Michael Spicer | West Worcestershire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Bob Spink | Castle Point | Con | aye |
absent |
Richard Spring | West Suffolk | Con | aye |
absent |
Gary Streeter | South West Devon | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Desmond Swayne | New Forest West | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Hugo Swire | East Devon | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Robert Syms | Poole | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Peter Tapsell | Louth and Horncastle | Con | aye |
absent |
Mr John Taylor | Solihull | Con | aye |
absent |
David Tredinnick | Bosworth | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Mr Michael Trend | Windsor | Con | aye |
absent |
Robert Walter | North Dorset | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Nigel Waterson | Eastbourne | Con | aye |
absent |
Angela Watkinson | Upminster | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Bill Wiggin | Leominster | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Willetts | Havant | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
David Wilshire | Spelthorne | Con | aye |
absent |
Nicholas Winterton | Macclesfield | Con | aye |
absent |
Tim Yeo | South Suffolk | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
George Young | North West Hampshire | Con (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Douglas Hogg | Sleaford and North Hykeham | Con | absent |
no |
Richard Shepherd | Aldridge-Brownhills | Con (front bench) | absent |
no |
Jeffrey M. Donaldson | Lagan Valley | whilst DUP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Ian Paisley | North Antrim | DUP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Gregory Campbell | East Londonderry | DUP (front bench) | absent |
aye |
Mr Tam Dalyell | Linlithgow | Lab | aye |
no |
Dr Jim Marshall | Leicester South | Lab | aye |
no |
Dennis Skinner | Bolsover | Lab (minister) | aye |
no |
Diane Abbott | Hackney North and Stoke Newington | Lab | aye |
absent |
Janet Anderson | Rossendale and Darwen | Lab | aye |
absent |
Mr Nigel Beard | Bexleyheath and Crayford | Lab | aye |
absent |
Stuart Bell | Middlesbrough | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Joe Benton | Bootle | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Tony Blair | Sedgefield | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
David Cairns | Greenock and Inverclyde | Lab | aye |
absent |
Mr Roger Casale | Wimbledon | Lab | aye |
absent |
Colin Challen | Morley and Rothwell | Lab | aye |
absent |
Michael Clapham | Barnsley West and Penistone | Lab | aye |
absent |
Frank Cook | Stockton North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Ms Julia Drown | South Swindon | Lab | aye |
absent |
Mr David Hinchliffe | Wakefield | Lab | aye |
absent |
Miss Melanie Johnson | Welwyn Hatfield | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak | Lab | aye |
absent |
Ruth Kelly | Bolton West | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Mr Terry Lewis | Worsley | Lab | aye |
absent |
Mrs Alice Mahon | Halifax | Lab | aye |
absent |
Alan Milburn | Darlington | Lab | aye |
absent |
Chris Mole | Ipswich | Lab | aye |
absent |
Julie Morgan | Cardiff North | Lab | aye |
absent |
Kali Mountford | Colne Valley | Lab | aye |
absent |
Dan Norris | Wansdyke | Lab | aye |
absent |
Mr Martin O'Neill | Ochil | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
John Reid | Hamilton North and Bellshill | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Marsha Singh | Bradford West | Lab | aye |
absent |
Gerry Sutcliffe | Bradford South | Lab (minister) | aye |
absent |
Keith Vaz | Leicester East | Lab | aye |
absent |
Rudi Vis | Finchley and Golders Green | Lab | aye |
absent |
Mrs Irene Adams | Paisley North | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
John Austin | Erith and Thamesmead | Lab | absent |
aye |
Vera Baird | Redcar | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mr Tony Banks | West Ham | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Kevin Barron | Rother Valley | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
John Battle | Leeds West | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mr Harold Best | Leeds North West | Lab | absent |
aye |
Clive Betts | Sheffield, Attercliffe | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Hazel Blears | Salford | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Mr Paul Boateng | Brent South | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Nick Brown | Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend | Lab | absent |
aye |
Karen Buck | Regent's Park and Kensington North | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Richard Caborn | Sheffield Central | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Alan Campbell | Tynemouth | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mr Ivor Caplin | Hove | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Ben Chapman | Wirral South | Lab | absent |
aye |
Ms Helen Clark | Peterborough | Lab | absent |
aye |
Dr Lynda Clark | Edinburgh Pentlands | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Ann Clwyd | Cynon Valley | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Harry Cohen | Leyton and Wanstead | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mr Iain Coleman | Hammersmith and Fulham | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mr Tony Colman | Putney | Lab | absent |
aye |
Robin Cook | Livingston | Lab | absent |
aye |
Jim Cousins | Newcastle upon Tyne Central | Lab | absent |
aye |
Alistair Darling | Edinburgh Central | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Wayne David | Caerphilly | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Ian Davidson | Glasgow Pollok | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Mr Denzil Davies | Llanelli | Lab | absent |
aye |
Geraint Davies | Croydon Central | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mr Hilton Dawson | Lancaster and Wyre | Lab | absent |
aye |
John Denham | Southampton, Itchen | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Frank Dobson | Holborn and St Pancras | Lab | absent |
aye |
David Drew | Stroud | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Angela Eagle | Wallasey | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Maria Eagle | Liverpool, Garston | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Mr Huw Edwards | Monmouth | Lab | absent |
aye |
Bill Etherington | Sunderland North | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mr Derek Foster | Bishop Auckland | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Michael Foster | Worcester | Lab | absent |
aye |
Michael Jabez Foster | Hastings and Rye | Lab | absent |
aye |
Ms Jane Griffiths | Reading East | Lab | absent |
aye |
Nigel Griffiths | Edinburgh South | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Peter Hain | Neath | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Harriet Harman | Camberwell and Peckham | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Dai Havard | Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
John Healey | Wentworth | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Doug Henderson | Newcastle upon Tyne North | Lab | absent |
aye |
Stephen Hepburn | Jarrow | Lab | absent |
aye |
Keith Hill | Streatham | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Margaret Hodge | Barking | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Jimmy Hood | Clydesdale | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Kim Howells | Pontypridd | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Lindsay Hoyle | Chorley | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Mr Kevin Hughes | Doncaster North | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mr Alan Hurst | Braintree | Lab | absent |
aye |
Adam Ingram | East Kilbride | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Glenda Jackson | Hampstead and Highgate | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mrs Helen Jackson | Sheffield, Hillsborough | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mr David Jamieson | Plymouth, Devonport | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Tessa Jowell | Dulwich and West Norwood | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Gerald Kaufman | Manchester, Gorton | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Sally Keeble | Northampton North | Lab | absent |
aye |
Ann Keen | Brentford and Isleworth | Lab | absent |
aye |
Jane Kennedy | Liverpool, Wavertree | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton | Lab | absent |
aye |
David Lammy | Tottenham | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Mark Lazarowicz | Edinburgh North and Leith | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Tom Levitt | High Peak | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mr Calum MacDonald | Na h-Eileanan an Iar | Lab | absent |
aye |
Fiona Mactaggart | Slough | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Mr Peter Mandelson | Hartlepool | Lab | absent |
aye |
Rob Marris | Wolverhampton South West | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Ian McCartney | Makerfield | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
John McFall | Dumbarton | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Tony McNulty | Harrow East | Lab (minister) | absent |
tellaye |
Michael Meacher | Oldham West and Royton | Lab | absent |
aye |
Alan Meale | Mansfield | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Austin Mitchell | Great Grimsby | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Dr Lewis Moonie | Kirkcaldy | Lab | absent |
aye |
Ms Estelle Morris | Birmingham, Yardley | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
George Mudie | Leeds East | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Chris Mullin | Sunderland South | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Jim Murphy | East Renfrewshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Doug Naysmith | Bristol North West | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mike O'Brien | North Warwickshire | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Edward O'Hara | Knowsley South | Lab | absent |
aye |
Sandra Osborne | Ayr | Lab | absent |
aye |
Nick Palmer | Broxtowe | Lab | absent |
aye |
Ian Pearson | Dudley South | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Greg Pope | Hyndburn | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mr Raymond Powell | Ogmore | Lab | absent |
aye |
Dawn Primarolo | Bristol South | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
James Purnell | Stalybridge and Hyde | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mr Lawrie Quinn | Scarborough and Whitby | Lab | absent |
aye |
Bill Rammell | Harlow | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Nick Raynsford | Greenwich and Woolwich | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
John Robertson | Glasgow Anniesland | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Geoffrey Robinson | Coventry North West | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mrs Barbara Roche | Hornsey and Wood Green | Lab | absent |
aye |
Terry Rooney | Bradford North | Lab | absent |
aye |
Jonathan R Shaw | Chatham and Aylesford | Lab | absent |
aye |
Ms Debra Shipley | Stourbridge | Lab | absent |
aye |
Siôn Simon | Birmingham, Erdington | Lab | absent |
aye |
Andrew Smith | Oxford East | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Angela Smith | Basildon | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Mr Chris Smith | Islington South and Finsbury | Lab | absent |
aye |
John Smith | Vale of Glamorgan | Lab | absent |
aye |
Helen Southworth | Warrington South | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mrs Ann Taylor | Dewsbury | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Dari Taylor | Stockton South | Lab | absent |
aye |
Paul Truswell | Pudsey | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mr Dennis Turner | Wolverhampton South East | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Mr Bill Tynan | Hamilton South | Lab | absent |
aye |
Alan Williams | Swansea West | Lab | absent |
aye |
Michael Wills | North Swindon | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mr Brian Wilson | Cunninghame North | Lab | absent |
aye |
David Winnick | Walsall North | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Rosie Winterton | Doncaster Central | Lab (minister) | absent |
aye |
Mike Wood | Batley and Spen | Lab | absent |
aye |
Anthony D Wright | Great Yarmouth | Lab | absent |
aye |
Mr Andrew Bennett | Denton and Reddish | Lab | absent |
no |
Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North | Lab | absent |
tellno |
Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central | Lab | absent |
no |
George Galloway | Glasgow Kelvin | whilst Lab | absent |
no |
Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway | Lab | absent |
no |
John Martin McDonnell | Hayes and Harlington | Lab | absent |
no |
Mr Brian Sedgemore | Hackney South and Shoreditch | Lab | absent |
no |
Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby | Lab | absent |
no |
Mr Jimmy Wray | Glasgow Baillieston | Lab | absent |
no |
John Barrett | Edinburgh West | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Menzies Campbell | North East Fife | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Ms Sue Doughty | Guildford | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Mr Archy Kirkwood | Roxburgh and Berwickshire | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Mr Paul Marsden | Shrewsbury and Atcham | whilst LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Sarah Teather | Brent East | LDem (front bench) | no |
absent |
Annette Brooke | Mid Dorset and North Poole | LDem (front bench) | absent |
no |
Malcolm Bruce | Gordon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
no |
Mr John Burnett | Torridge and West Devon | LDem (front bench) | absent |
no |
Vincent Cable | Twickenham | LDem (front bench) | absent |
no |
Patsy Calton | Cheadle | LDem (front bench) | absent |
no |
Mr David Chidgey | Eastleigh | LDem (front bench) | absent |
no |
Mr Brian Cotter | Weston-Super-Mare | LDem (front bench) | absent |
no |
Mike Hancock | Portsmouth South | LDem (front bench) | absent |
no |
Evan Harris | Oxford West and Abingdon | LDem | absent |
no |
Paul Keetch | Hereford | LDem (front bench) | absent |
no |
Robert Smith | West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | LDem (front bench) | absent |
no |
Matthew Taylor | Truro and St Austell | LDem (front bench) | absent |
no |
John Thurso | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross | LDem (front bench) | absent |
no |
Roger Williams | Brecon and Radnorshire | LDem (front bench) | absent |
no |
Phil Willis | Harrogate and Knaresborough | LDem (front bench) | absent |
no |
Eddie McGrady | South Down | SDLP | aye |
absent |
Mr Roy Beggs | East Antrim | UUP | aye |
absent |
David Burnside | South Antrim | whilst UUP | aye |
absent |
Martin Smyth | Belfast South | whilst UUP | aye |
absent |
Rt Hon David Trimble | Upper Bann | UUP (front bench) | aye |
absent |
Martin Smyth | Belfast South | whilst UUP | absent |
aye |
The measure of similarity between these two divisions is a calculation
based on a comparison of their votes.
There were
659 MPs who could have voted in both of these divisions,
and 270 voted the same way, with 3 voting in opposite ways.
There were 94 MPs who didn't vote in either division,
and 292 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])
=
270
(270 + 3 + 0.2x292)
=
270
331.4
=
0.815
=
81.5 %.