Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill — Part 3 — Question for referendum on the system for electing MPs — 12 Oct 2010 at 23:00

The majority of MPs voted not to include an option allowing people to express a preference for voting systems expected to result in proportional representation during the referendum on the system used to elect MPs.

The majority of MPs voted against a proposal by Green Party MP Caroline Lucas which suggested first asking if the system should be changed at all, then moving on to ask voters to rank the alternative vote, the additional member system, and the ‘single transferable vote’ system with multi-member constituencies, in order of preference.

During the debate prior to the vote Caroline Lucas said:

  • "We owe it to the electorate to put before them a choice that includes a genuinely proportional system"[1]

The rejected amendment would have deleted the original question contained within the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill[2] which read:

  • Do you want the United Kingdom to adopt the “alternative vote” system instead of the current “first past the post” system for electing Members of Parliament to the House of Commons?

The questions Caroline Lucas MP was seeking to have that referendum question replaced with were[3]:

  • (1) Do you want to change the current “first past the post” system for electing Members of Parliament to the House of Commons?
  • (2) If there were a change, list your order of preference, 1, 2, 3, for the United Kingdom to adopt:
  • (a) The ‘alternative vote’ system,
  • (b) The ‘additional member’ system, or
  • (c) The ‘single transferable vote’ system with multi-member constituencies?”.

Caroline Lucas explained during debate that she had tabled the amendment on the basis that

  • "it is contradictory for the coalition to be talking about electoral reform while seeking to offer little more than a Hobson's choice, between AV and first past the post"[4].

Caroline Lucas' amendment sought to include the options of STV and the additional member system, which would be much more likely to result in "Proportional Representation" ie. with the fraction of MPs in the commons from a particular party reflecting the fraction of the national vote.

Debate in Parliament | Source |

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All Votes Cast - sorted by vote

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
Douglas CarswellClactonContellaye
Nicholas DakinScunthorpeLab (minister)aye
Mark DurkanFoyleSDLP (front bench)aye
Jonathan EvansCardiff NorthConaye
Philip HolloboneKetteringCon (front bench)aye
Stewart HosieDundee EastSNP (front bench)aye
Elfyn LlwydDwyfor MeirionnyddPC (front bench)aye
Naomi LongBelfast EastAlliance (front bench)aye
Caroline LucasBrighton, PavilionGreen (front bench)aye
Angus MacNeilNa h-Eileanan an IarSNP (front bench)aye
Alasdair McDonnellBelfast SouthSDLP (front bench)aye
Austin MitchellGreat GrimsbyLab (minister)tellaye
Margaret RitchieSouth DownSDLP (front bench)aye
Angus RobertsonMoraySNP (front bench)aye
Andrew SmithOxford EastLabaye
Michael WeirAngusSNP (front bench)aye
Eilidh WhitefordBanff and BuchanSNP (front bench)aye
Hywel WilliamsArfonPC (front bench)aye
Pete WishartPerth and North PerthshireSNP (front bench)aye
Nigel AdamsSelby and AinstyCon (front bench)no
Adam AfriyieWindsorConno
Peter AldousWaveneyCon (front bench)no
Danny AlexanderInverness, Nairn, Badenoch and StrathspeyLDem (front bench)no
Sir David AmessSouthend WestCon (front bench)no
Stuart AndrewPudseyConno
James ArbuthnotNorth East HampshireCon (front bench)no
Richard BaconSouth NorfolkCon (front bench)no
Norman BakerLewesLDem (front bench)no
Steven BakerWycombeConno
Tony BaldryBanburyCon (front bench)no
Harriett BaldwinWest WorcestershireCon (front bench)no
Steve BarclayNorth East CambridgeshireCon (front bench)no
Gregory BarkerBexhill and BattleCon (front bench)no
Gavin BarwellCroydon CentralCon (front bench)no
Guto BebbAberconwyCon (front bench)no
Alan BeithBerwick-upon-TweedLDem (front bench)no
Henry BellinghamNorth West NorfolkCon (front bench)no
Richard BenyonNewburyCon (front bench)no
Paul BeresfordMole ValleyCon (front bench)no
Jake BerryRossendale and DarwenConno
Andrew BinghamHigh PeakConno
Gordon BirtwistleBurnleyLDemno
Bob BlackmanHarrow EastCon (front bench)no
Nicola BlackwoodOxford West and AbingdonCon (front bench)no
Crispin BluntReigateCon (front bench)no
Nicholas BolesGrantham and StamfordCon (front bench)no
Peter BoneWellingboroughCon (front bench)no
Peter BottomleyWorthing WestConno
Karen BradleyStaffordshire MoorlandsCon (front bench)no
Tom BrakeCarshalton and WallingtonLDemno
Angie BrayEaling Central and ActonConno
Julian BrazierCanterburyCon (front bench)no
Steve BrineWinchesterConno
James BrokenshireOld Bexley and SidcupCon (front bench)no
Annette BrookeMid Dorset and North PooleLDem (front bench)no
Jeremy BrowneTaunton DeaneLDem (front bench)no
Fiona BruceCongletonCon (front bench)no
Malcolm BruceGordonLDem (front bench)no
Robert BucklandSouth SwindonCon (front bench)no
Aidan BurleyCannock ChaseCon (front bench)no
Conor BurnsBournemouth WestCon (front bench)no
Simon BurnsChelmsfordCon (front bench)no
David BurrowesEnfield, SouthgateConno
Paul BurstowSutton and CheamLDem (front bench)no
Alistair BurtNorth East BedfordshireCon (front bench)no
Lorely BurtSolihullLDem (front bench)no
Vincent CableTwickenhamLDem (front bench)no
Alun CairnsVale of GlamorganCon (front bench)no
Gregory CampbellEast LondonderryDUP (front bench)no
Menzies CampbellNorth East FifeLDem (front bench)no
Alistair CarmichaelOrkney and ShetlandLDem (front bench)no
Neil CarmichaelStroudCon (front bench)no
Rehman ChishtiGillingham and RainhamConno
James ClappisonHertsmereCon (front bench)no
Greg ClarkTunbridge WellsCon (front bench)no
Kenneth ClarkeRushcliffeCon (front bench)no
Nick CleggSheffield, HallamLDem (front bench)no
Geoffrey Clifton-BrownThe CotswoldsCon (front bench)no
Therese CoffeySuffolk CoastalConno
Damian CollinsFolkestone and HytheConno
Oliver ColvilePlymouth, Sutton and DevonportCon (front bench)no
Geoffrey CoxTorridge and West DevonCon (front bench)no
Stephen CrabbPreseli PembrokeshireCon (front bench)no
Michael CrockartEdinburgh WestLDemno
Tracey CrouchChatham and AylesfordConno
Edward DaveyKingston and SurbitonLDem (front bench)no
David DaviesMonmouthCon (front bench)no
Glyn DaviesMontgomeryshireCon (front bench)no
Philip DaviesShipleyCon (front bench)no
Nick de BoisEnfield NorthCon (front bench)no
Caroline DinenageGosportConno
Jonathan DjanoglyHuntingdonCon (front bench)no
Nigel DoddsBelfast NorthDUP (front bench)no
Jeffrey M. DonaldsonLagan ValleyDUP (front bench)no
Stephen DorrellCharnwoodCon (front bench)no
Nadine DorriesMid BedfordshireCon (front bench)no
Jackie Doyle-PriceThurrockCon (front bench)no
Richard DraxSouth DorsetConno
James DuddridgeRochford and Southend EastCon (front bench)tellno
Alan DuncanRutland and MeltonCon (front bench)no
Iain Duncan SmithChingford and Woodford GreenCon (front bench)no
Philip DunneLudlowCon (front bench)no
Michael EllisNorthampton NorthCon (front bench)no
Jane EllisonBatterseaCon (front bench)no
Tobias EllwoodBournemouth EastConno
Charlie ElphickeDoverCon (front bench)no
George EusticeCamborne and RedruthCon (front bench)no
Graham EvansWeaver ValeConno
David EvennettBexleyheath and CrayfordConno
Michael FabricantLichfieldCon (front bench)no
Michael FallonSevenoaksCon (front bench)no
Tim FarronWestmorland and LonsdaleLDem (front bench)no
Lynne FeatherstoneHornsey and Wood GreenLDem (front bench)no
Mark FieldCities of London and WestminsterCon (front bench)no
Don FosterBathLDemno
Liam FoxNorth SomersetCon (front bench)no
Mark FrancoisRayleigh and WickfordCon (front bench)no
George FreemanMid NorfolkCon (front bench)no
Mike FreerFinchley and Golders GreenCon (front bench)no
Lorraine FullbrookSouth RibbleCon (front bench)no
Richard FullerBedfordConno
Edward GarnierHarboroughCon (front bench)no
Mark GarnierWyre ForestCon (front bench)no
David GaukeSouth West HertfordshireCon (front bench)no
Andrew GeorgeSt IvesLDem (front bench)no
Nick GibbBognor Regis and LittlehamptonCon (front bench)no
Stephen GilbertSt Austell and NewquayLDem (front bench)no
Dame Cheryl GillanChesham and AmershamCon (front bench)no
John GlenSalisburyCon (front bench)no
Zac GoldsmithRichmond ParkCon (front bench)no
Robert GoodwillScarborough and WhitbyCon (front bench)no
Michael GoveSurrey HeathCon (front bench)no
Richard GrahamGloucesterCon (front bench)no
Helen GrantMaidstone and The WealdCon (front bench)no
James GrayNorth WiltshireCon (front bench)no
Chris GraylingEpsom and EwellCon (front bench)no
Damian GreenAshfordCon (front bench)no
Justine GreeningPutneyCon (front bench)no
Dominic GrieveBeaconsfieldCon (front bench)no
Andrew GriffithsBurtonConno
Ben GummerIpswichCon (front bench)no
Sam GyimahEast SurreyCon (front bench)no
Robert HalfonHarlowCon (front bench)no
Duncan HamesChippenhamLDemno
Philip HammondRunnymede and WeybridgeCon (front bench)no
Stephen HammondWimbledonConno
Matthew HancockWest SuffolkCon (front bench)no
Mike HancockPortsmouth Southwhilst LDem (front bench)no
Greg HandsChelsea and FulhamConno
Mark HarperForest of DeanCon (front bench)no
Richard HarringtonWatfordCon (front bench)no
Rebecca HarrisCastle PointCon (front bench)no
Simon HartCarmarthen West and South PembrokeshireCon (front bench)no
Nick HarveyNorth DevonLDem (front bench)no
Alan HaselhurstSaffron WaldenCon (front bench)no
John HayesSouth Holland and The DeepingsCon (front bench)no
Oliver HealdNorth East HertfordshireCon (front bench)no
David HeathSomerton and FromeLDem (front bench)no
Chris Heaton-HarrisDaventryCon (front bench)no
John HemmingBirmingham, YardleyLDem (front bench)no
Gordon HendersonSittingbourne and SheppeyCon (front bench)no
Charles HendryWealdenCon (front bench)no
Nick HerbertArundel and South DownsCon (front bench)no
Damian HindsEast HampshireCon (front bench)no
Mark HobanFarehamCon (front bench)no
George HollingberyMeon ValleyCon (front bench)no
Adam HollowayGraveshamCon (front bench)no
Kelvin HopkinsLuton NorthLab (minister)no
Kris HopkinsKeighleyConno
Martin HorwoodCheltenhamLDemno
Gerald HowarthAldershotCon (front bench)no
John HowellHenleyConno
Simon HughesBermondsey and Old SouthwarkLDem (front bench)no
Jeremy HuntSouth West SurreyCon (front bench)no
Mark HunterCheadleLDem (front bench)tellno
Julian HuppertCambridgeLDem (front bench)no
Nick HurdRuislip, Northwood and PinnerCon (front bench)no
Stewart JacksonPeterboroughConno
Margot JamesStourbridgeCon (front bench)no
Sajid JavidBromsgroveCon (front bench)no
Bernard JenkinHarwich and North EssexCon (front bench)no
Gareth JohnsonDartfordConno
Jo JohnsonOrpingtonCon (front bench)no
Andrew JonesHarrogate and KnaresboroughCon (front bench)no
David JonesClwyd WestCon (front bench)no
Marcus JonesNuneatonConno
Daniel KawczynskiShrewsbury and AtchamConno
Chris KellyDudley SouthCon (front bench)no
Charles KennedyRoss, Skye and LochaberLDemno
Simon KirbyBrighton, KemptownCon (front bench)no
Greg KnightEast YorkshireCon (front bench)no
Kwasi KwartengSpelthorneCon (front bench)no
Eleanor LaingEpping ForestCon (front bench)no
Norman LambNorth NorfolkLDem (front bench)no
Mark LancasterMilton Keynes NorthConno
Andrew LansleySouth CambridgeshireCon (front bench)no
Pauline LathamMid DerbyshireCon (front bench)no
David LawsYeovilLDemno
Andrea LeadsomSouth NorthamptonshireCon (front bench)no
Jessica LeeErewashCon (front bench)no
Phillip LeeBracknellCon (front bench)no
John LeechManchester, WithingtonLDem (front bench)no
Jeremy LefroyStaffordCon (front bench)no
Charlotte LeslieBristol North WestCon (front bench)no
Oliver LetwinWest DorsetCon (front bench)no
Brandon LewisGreat YarmouthCon (front bench)no
Julian LewisNew Forest EastCon (front bench)no
Ian Liddell-GraingerBridgwater and West SomersetCon (front bench)no
David LidingtonAylesburyCon (front bench)no
Peter LilleyHitchin and HarpendenConno
Stephen LloydEastbourneLDem (front bench)no
Jonathan LordWokingConno
Tim LoughtonEast Worthing and ShorehamCon (front bench)no
Peter LuffMid WorcestershireCon (front bench)no
Karen LumleyRedditchCon (front bench)no
Mary MacleodBrentford and IsleworthCon (front bench)no
Anne MainSt AlbansCon (front bench)no
Francis MaudeHorshamCon (front bench)no
Theresa MayMaidenheadCon (front bench)no
Paul MaynardBlackpool North and CleveleysCon (front bench)no
Jason McCartneyColne ValleyConno
Karl McCartneyLincolnConno
William McCreaSouth AntrimDUP (front bench)no
Anne McIntoshThirsk and MaltonCon (front bench)no
Patrick McLoughlinDerbyshire DalesCon (front bench)no
Stephen McPartlandStevenageConno
Esther McVeyWirral WestConno
Louise MenschCorbyConno
Mark MenziesFyldeCon (front bench)no
Patrick MercerNewarkConno
Stephen MetcalfeSouth Basildon and East ThurrockCon (front bench)no
Maria MillerBasingstokeCon (front bench)no
Nigel MillsAmber ValleyCon (front bench)no
Anne MiltonGuildfordCon (front bench)no
Andrew MitchellSutton ColdfieldCon (front bench)no
Michael MooreBerwickshire, Roxburgh and SelkirkLDem (front bench)no
Penny MordauntPortsmouth NorthCon (front bench)no
Nicky MorganLoughboroughCon (front bench)no
Anne Marie MorrisNewton AbbotConno
David MorrisMorecambe and LunesdaleCon (front bench)no
James MorrisHalesowen and Rowley RegisCon (front bench)no
Stephen MosleyCity of ChesterCon (front bench)no
David MowatWarrington SouthCon (front bench)no
Greg MulhollandLeeds North WestLDem (front bench)no
David MundellDumfriesshire, Clydesdale and TweeddaleCon (front bench)no
Sheryll MurraySouth East CornwallCon (front bench)no
Andrew MurrisonSouth West WiltshireConno
Bob NeillBromley and ChislehurstCon (front bench)no
Brooks NewmarkBraintreeCon (front bench)no
Sarah NewtonTruro and FalmouthCon (front bench)no
Caroline NokesRomsey and Southampton NorthCon (front bench)no
Jesse NormanHereford and South HerefordshireCon (front bench)no
David NuttallBury NorthCon (front bench)no
Stephen O'BrienEddisburyCon (front bench)no
Matthew OffordHendonConno
Eric OllerenshawLancaster and FleetwoodCon (front bench)no
Guy OppermanHexhamConno
George OsborneTattonCon (front bench)no
Richard OttawayCroydon SouthCon (front bench)no
James PaiceSouth East CambridgeshireCon (front bench)no
Neil ParishTiverton and HonitonCon (front bench)no
Priti PatelWithamConno
Owen PatersonNorth ShropshireCon (front bench)no
Mark PawseyRugbyConno
Mike PenningHemel HempsteadCon (front bench)no
John PenroseWeston-Super-MareCon (front bench)no
Andrew PercyBrigg and GooleCon (front bench)no
Claire PerryDevizesCon (front bench)no
Stephen PhillipsSleaford and North HykehamCon (front bench)no
Eric PicklesBrentwood and OngarCon (front bench)no
Christopher PincherTamworthCon (front bench)no
Daniel PoulterCentral Suffolk and North IpswichConno
Mark PriskHertford and StortfordCon (front bench)no
Mark PritchardThe WrekinConno
John PughSouthportLDem (front bench)no
Dominic RaabEsher and WaltonCon (front bench)no
John RandallUxbridge and South RuislipCon (front bench)no
Mark RecklessRochester and StroodCon (front bench)no
John RedwoodWokinghamConno
Jacob Rees-MoggNorth East SomersetCon (front bench)no
Simon ReevellDewsburyConno
Alan ReidArgyll and ButeLDem (front bench)no
Malcolm RifkindKensingtonCon (front bench)no
Andrew RobathanSouth LeicestershireCon (front bench)no
Hugh RobertsonFaversham and Mid KentCon (front bench)no
Laurence RobertsonTewkesburyCon (front bench)no
Dan RogersonNorth CornwallLDem (front bench)no
Andrew RosindellRomfordCon (front bench)no
Amber RuddHastings and RyeCon (front bench)no
David RuffleyBury St EdmundsConno
Bob RussellColchesterLDem (front bench)no
David RutleyMacclesfieldCon (front bench)no
Adrian SandersTorbayLDemno
Laura SandysSouth ThanetCon (front bench)no
Lee ScottIlford NorthConno
Andrew SelousSouth West BedfordshireConno
Jim ShannonStrangfordDUP (front bench)no
Grant ShappsWelwyn HatfieldCon (front bench)no
Alok SharmaReading WestCon (front bench)no
Alec ShelbrookeElmet and RothwellConno
Mark SimmondsBoston and SkegnessConno
David SimpsonUpper BannDUP (front bench)no
Keith SimpsonBroadlandConno
Chris SkidmoreKingswoodCon (front bench)no
Dennis SkinnerBolsoverLabno
Chloe SmithNorwich NorthCon (front bench)no
Henry SmithCrawleyCon (front bench)no
Julian SmithSkipton and RiponCon (front bench)no
Robert SmithWest Aberdeenshire and KincardineLDem (front bench)no
Nicholas SoamesMid SussexConno
Anna SoubryBroxtoweCon (front bench)no
Caroline SpelmanMeridenCon (front bench)no
Mark SpencerSherwoodCon (front bench)no
Andrew StephensonPendleConno
John StevensonCarlisleConno
Bob StewartBeckenhamCon (front bench)no
Iain StewartMilton Keynes SouthCon (front bench)no
Rory StewartPenrith and The BorderCon (front bench)no
Gary StreeterSouth West DevonCon (front bench)no
Mel StrideCentral DevonCon (front bench)no
Graham StuartBeverley and HoldernessCon (front bench)no
Andrew StunellHazel GroveLDem (front bench)no
Julian SturdyYork OuterCon (front bench)no
Ian SwalesRedcarLDem (front bench)no
Desmond SwayneNew Forest WestConno
Jo SwinsonEast DunbartonshireLDemno
Hugo SwireEast DevonCon (front bench)no
Robert SymsPooleCon (front bench)no
Sarah TeatherBrent CentralLDem (front bench)no
John ThursoCaithness, Sutherland and Easter RossLDem (front bench)no
Edward TimpsonCrewe and NantwichConno
Justin TomlinsonNorth SwindonConno
David TredinnickBosworthCon (front bench)no
Elizabeth TrussSouth West NorfolkConno
Andrew TurnerIsle of WightCon (front bench)no
Andrew TyrieChichesterCon (front bench)no
Paul UppalWolverhampton South WestConno
Ed VaizeyWantageCon (front bench)no
Shailesh VaraNorth West CambridgeshireCon (front bench)no
Martin VickersCleethorpesConno
Theresa VilliersChipping BarnetCon (front bench)no
Charles WalkerBroxbourneCon (front bench)no
Robin WalkerWorcesterConno
Ben WallaceWyre and Preston NorthConno
Robert WalterNorth DorsetConno
David WardBradford EastLDem (front bench)no
Angela WatkinsonHornchurch and UpminsterCon (front bench)no
Mike WeatherleyHoveCon (front bench)no
Steve WebbThornbury and YateLDem (front bench)no
James WhartonStockton SouthCon (front bench)no
Chris WhiteWarwick and LeamingtonCon (front bench)no
Craig WhittakerCalder ValleyCon (front bench)no
John WhittingdaleMaldonCon (front bench)no
Bill WigginNorth HerefordshireCon (front bench)no
David WillettsHavantCon (front bench)no
Mark WilliamsCeredigionLDem (front bench)no
Roger WilliamsBrecon and RadnorshireLDem (front bench)no
Stephen WilliamsBristol WestLDem (front bench)no
Gavin WilliamsonSouth StaffordshireCon (front bench)no
Jennifer WillottCardiff CentralLDemno
Rob WilsonReading EastConno
Sarah WollastonTotnesCon (front bench)no
Jeremy WrightKenilworth and SouthamCon (front bench)no
Simon WrightNorwich SouthLDem (front bench)no
Tim YeoSouth SuffolkCon (front bench)no
George YoungNorth West HampshireCon (front bench)no
Nadhim ZahawiStratford-on-AvonCon (front bench)no

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