Motion to Sit in Private — 5 Sep 2014 at 09:30

The majority of MPs voted not to hold a private session of the House of Commons.

The text of the motion rejected in the vote was:

  • That the House sit in private.

The House of Commons' Standing Order No. 163 says:

  • If at any sitting of the House... any Member moves 'That the House sit in private' the Speaker... shall forthwith put the question 'That the House sit in private', and such question, though opposed, may be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business, but such a Motion may be made no more than once in any sitting.

Moving the motion to sit in private is almost always a procedural tactic. By ensuring the defeat of a motion to sit in private at the beginning of the sitting, the mover makes it impossible for any member to move the motion during a subsequent debate.

If such a motion is brought during the debate on a Bill, and fewer than 40 MPs vote in it, then the debate ends immediately regardless of the result (following Standing Order 44). Such an ending of debate occurred on the 14th of March 2003. The points of order following that division show MPs questioning the appropriateness of the tactic.

Moving a motion to sit in private is often done first thing on a Friday morning. Moving the motion ensures it can't be moved later in the day, when MPs might have returned to their constituencies for the weekend and too few members may be present to reach the 40 member threshold leading to the discussion of the business before the house (typically private members' Bills) being brought to an end.

See also What is a motion to sit in private? from the PublicWhip FAQ.

Debate in Parliament | Source |

Public Whip is run as a free not-for-profit service. If you'd like to support us, please consider switching your (UK) electricity and/or gas to Octopus Energy or tip us via Ko-Fi.

All Votes Cast - sorted by constituency

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
Hywel FrancisAberavonLab (minister)no
Anne BeggAberdeen SouthLab (minister)no
Richard ShepherdAldridge-BrownhillsConno
Mark TamiAlyn and DeesideLab (minister)no
Nigel MillsAmber ValleyCon (front bench)no
Michael WeirAngusSNP (front bench)no
Nick HerbertArundel and South DownsConno
Damian GreenAshfordConno
Tony BaldryBanburyCon (front bench)no
John BaronBasildon and BillericayCon (front bench)no
Don FosterBathLDem (front bench)no
Dominic GrieveBeaconsfieldConno
Bob StewartBeckenhamCon (front bench)no
Richard FullerBedfordCon (front bench)no
Simon HughesBermondsey and Old SouthwarkLDem (front bench)no
Alan BeithBerwick-upon-TweedLDem (front bench)no
Michael MooreBerwickshire, Roxburgh and SelkirkLDemno
Graham StuartBeverley and HoldernessCon (front bench)no
Gregory BarkerBexhill and BattleConno
David EvennettBexleyheath and CrayfordCon (front bench)no
Frank FieldBirkenheadLab (minister)no
Richard BurdenBirmingham, NorthfieldLab (minister)no
John HemmingBirmingham, YardleyLDem (front bench)no
Helen GoodmanBishop AucklandLab (minister)no
Gordon MarsdenBlackpool SouthLab (minister)no
David AndersonBlaydonLab (minister)no
Nick GibbBognor Regis and LittlehamptonCon (front bench)no
Dennis SkinnerBolsoverLabno
Julie HillingBolton WestLab (minister)no
David TredinnickBosworthCon (front bench)no
Conor BurnsBournemouth WestCon (front bench)no
Phillip LeeBracknellCon (front bench)no
Gerry SutcliffeBradford SouthLabno
Brooks NewmarkBraintreeCon (front bench)no
Roger WilliamsBrecon and RadnorshireLDem (front bench)no
Sarah TeatherBrent CentralLDem (front bench)no
Mary MacleodBrentford and IsleworthConno
Eric PicklesBrentwood and OngarCon (front bench)no
Madeleine MoonBridgendLab (minister)no
Simon KirbyBrighton, KemptownConno
Kerry McCarthyBristol EastLab (minister)no
Charlotte LeslieBristol North WestCon (front bench)no
David NuttallBury NorthCon (front bench)aye
Wayne DavidCaerphillyLabno
John ThursoCaithness, Sutherland and Easter RossLDem (front bench)no
George EusticeCamborne and RedruthCon (front bench)no
Julian BrazierCanterburyCon (front bench)no
Jonathan EvansCardiff NorthConno
Stephen DoughtyCardiff South and PenarthLab (minister)no
Kevin BrennanCardiff WestLab (minister)no
Jonathan EdwardsCarmarthen East and DinefwrPC (front bench)no
Tom BrakeCarshalton and WallingtonLDem (front bench)no
Rebecca HarrisCastle PointCon (front bench)no
Brian H DonohoeCentral AyrshireLabno
Mel StrideCentral DevonCon (front bench)no
Daniel PoulterCentral Suffolk and North IpswichCon (front bench)no
Mark WilliamsCeredigionLDem (front bench)no
Mark HunterCheadleLDem (front bench)no
Simon BurnsChelmsfordConno
Greg HandsChelsea and FulhamCon (front bench)no
Martin HorwoodCheltenhamLDemno
Andrew TyrieChichesterCon (front bench)no
Iain Duncan SmithChingford and Woodford GreenCon (front bench)no
Duncan HamesChippenhamLDemno
Christopher ChopeChristchurchCon (front bench)no
Mark FieldCities of London and WestminsterCon (front bench)no
Stephen MosleyCity of ChesterCon (front bench)no
Martin VickersCleethorpesCon (front bench)no
Susan Elan JonesClwyd SouthLab (minister)no
David JonesClwyd WestConno
Tom ClarkeCoatbridge, Chryston and BellshillLab (minister)no
Jason McCartneyColne ValleyCon (front bench)no
Fiona BruceCongletonCon (front bench)no
Jim CunninghamCoventry SouthLabno
Henry SmithCrawleyCon (front bench)no
Gavin BarwellCroydon CentralCon (front bench)tellno
Jon CruddasDagenham and RainhamLab (minister)no
Gareth JohnsonDartfordCon (front bench)no
Chris Heaton-HarrisDaventryCon (front bench)no
David HansonDelynLab (minister)no
Andrew GwynneDenton and ReddishLab (minister)no
Patrick McLoughlinDerbyshire DalesCon (front bench)no
Caroline FlintDon ValleyLab (minister)no
Charlie ElphickeDoverCon (front bench)no
Chris KellyDudley SouthCon (front bench)no
Russell BrownDumfries and GallowayLab (minister)no
Jim McGovernDundee WestLab (minister)no
Steve PoundEaling NorthLab (minister)no
Grahame MorrisEasingtonLab (minister)no
Damian HindsEast HampshireCon (front bench)no
Fiona O'DonnellEast LothianLab (minister)no
Stephen LloydEastbourneLDemno
Mike ThorntonEastleighLDem (front bench)no
Sheila GilmoreEdinburgh EastLab (minister)no
Mark LazarowiczEdinburgh North and LeithLab (minister)no
Ian MurrayEdinburgh SouthLab (minister)no
Alistair DarlingEdinburgh South WestLabno
Andrew MillerEllesmere Port and NestonLab (minister)no
Nick de BoisEnfield NorthCon (front bench)no
David BurrowesEnfield, SouthgateCon (front bench)no
Jessica LeeErewashConno
Teresa PearceErith and ThamesmeadLab (minister)no
Dominic RaabEsher and WaltonCon (front bench)no
Mark HobanFarehamConno
Jack LoprestiFilton and Bradley StokeCon (front bench)no
Mike FreerFinchley and Golders GreenConno
Damian CollinsFolkestone and HytheCon (front bench)no
Mark HarperForest of DeanCon (front bench)no
Mark DurkanFoyleSDLP (front bench)no
Mark MenziesFyldeCon (front bench)no
Maria EagleGarston and HalewoodLab (minister)no
Ian MearnsGatesheadLab (minister)no
Rehman ChishtiGillingham and RainhamCon (front bench)no
Ann McKechinGlasgow NorthLab (minister)no
William BainGlasgow North EastLab (minister)no
Tom HarrisGlasgow SouthLab (minister)no
Lindsay RoyGlenrothesLab (minister)no
Richard GrahamGloucesterConno
Malcolm BruceGordonLDem (front bench)no
Nicholas BolesGrantham and StamfordCon (front bench)no
Adam HollowayGraveshamCon (front bench)no
Brandon LewisGreat YarmouthCon (front bench)no
Nick RaynsfordGreenwich and WoolwichLab (minister)no
James MorrisHalesowen and Rowley RegisConno
David DavisHaltemprice and HowdenConno
Derek TwiggHaltonLab (minister)no
Andrew SlaughterHammersmithLab (minister)no
Edward GarnierHarboroughCon (front bench)no
Robert HalfonHarlowConno
Andrew JonesHarrogate and KnaresboroughCon (front bench)no
Bob BlackmanHarrow EastCon (front bench)no
Iain WrightHartlepoolLab (minister)no
Bernard JenkinHarwich and North EssexCon (front bench)no
Amber RuddHastings and RyeCon (front bench)no
Andrew StunellHazel GroveLDemno
Mike PenningHemel HempsteadCon (front bench)no
Jon TrickettHemsworthLab (minister)no
Matthew OffordHendonCon (front bench)no
John HowellHenleyConno
Mark PriskHertford and StortfordConno
Guy OppermanHexhamConno
Jim DobbinHeywood and MiddletonLabno
Andrew BinghamHigh PeakCon (front bench)no
Peter LilleyHitchin and HarpendenCon (front bench)no
Angela WatkinsonHornchurch and UpminsterCon (front bench)no
Lynne FeatherstoneHornsey and Wood GreenLDem (front bench)no
Francis MaudeHorshamCon (front bench)no
Mike WeatherleyHoveConno
Barry SheermanHuddersfieldLabno
Jonathan DjanoglyHuntingdonConno
Graham JonesHyndburnLab (minister)no
Andrew TurnerIsle of WightCon (front bench)no
Kris HopkinsKeighleyCon (front bench)no
Philip HolloboneKetteringCon (front bench)no
Cathy JamiesonKilmarnock and LoudounLab (minister)no
Edward DaveyKingston and SurbitonLDem (front bench)no
Karl TurnerKingston upon Hull EastLab (minister)no
Diana R. JohnsonKingston upon Hull NorthLab (minister)no
George HowarthKnowsleyLab (minister)no
Jimmy HoodLanark and Hamilton EastLab (minister)no
Eric OllerenshawLancaster and FleetwoodConno
Hilary BennLeeds CentralLab (minister)no
George MudieLeeds EastLab (minister)no
Fabian HamiltonLeeds North EastLab (minister)no
Greg MulhollandLeeds North WestLDem (front bench)no
Rachel ReevesLeeds WestLab (minister)no
Heidi AlexanderLewisham EastLab (minister)no
Michael FabricantLichfieldConno
Karl McCartneyLincolnCon (front bench)no
Stephen TwiggLiverpool, West DerbyLab (minister)no
Nia GriffithLlanelliLab (minister)no
Nicky MorganLoughboroughCon (front bench)no
Philip DunneLudlowCon (front bench)no
David RutleyMacclesfieldConno
Helen GrantMaidstone and The WealdCon (front bench)no
Yvonne FovargueMakerfieldLab (minister)no
John WhittingdaleMaldonCon (front bench)no
John LeechManchester, WithingtonLDemno
George HollingberyMeon ValleyCon (front bench)no
Caroline SpelmanMeridenCon (front bench)no
Annette BrookeMid Dorset and North PooleLDem (front bench)tellaye
George FreemanMid NorfolkCon (front bench)no
Tom BlenkinsopMiddlesbrough South and East ClevelandLab (minister)no
David HamiltonMidlothianLab (minister)no
Mark LancasterMilton Keynes NorthCon (front bench)no
Iain StewartMilton Keynes SouthCon (front bench)no
David DaviesMonmouthCon (front bench)no
Frank RoyMotherwell and WishawLab (minister)no
Desmond SwayneNew Forest WestCon (front bench)no
Robert JenrickNewarkCon (front bench)no
Nick BrownNewcastle upon Tyne EastLab (minister)no
Paul FarrellyNewcastle-under-LymeLab (minister)no
Katy ClarkNorth Ayrshire and ArranLab (minister)no
Dan RogersonNorth CornwallLDem (front bench)no
James ArbuthnotNorth East HampshireConno
Oliver HealdNorth East HertfordshireConno
Jacob Rees-MoggNorth East SomersetCon (front bench)aye
Bill WigginNorth HerefordshireConno
Norman LambNorth NorfolkLDem (front bench)no
Owen PatersonNorth ShropshireConno
Liam FoxNorth SomersetConno
Justin TomlinsonNorth SwindonCon (front bench)no
Roger GaleNorth ThanetCon (front bench)no
Mary GlindonNorth TynesideLab (minister)no
Dan BylesNorth WarwickshireCon (front bench)no
Shailesh VaraNorth West CambridgeshireCon (front bench)no
Pat GlassNorth West DurhamLab (minister)no
George YoungNorth West HampshireConno
James GrayNorth WiltshireCon (front bench)aye
Michael EllisNorthampton NorthCon (front bench)no
Chloe SmithNorwich NorthCon (front bench)no
Simon WrightNorwich SouthLDem (front bench)no
Chris LeslieNottingham EastLab (minister)no
Graham AllenNottingham NorthLab (minister)no
Lilian GreenwoodNottingham SouthLab (minister)no
Marcus JonesNuneatonCon (front bench)no
Gordon BanksOchil and South PerthshireLab (minister)no
Huw Irranca-DaviesOgmoreLab (minister)no
Debbie AbrahamsOldham East and SaddleworthLab (minister)no
Jo JohnsonOrpingtonCon (front bench)no
Nicola BlackwoodOxford West and AbingdonCon (front bench)no
Douglas AlexanderPaisley and Renfrewshire SouthLab (minister)no
Andrew StephensonPendleConno
Alison SeabeckPlymouth, Moor ViewLab (minister)no
Oliver ColvilePlymouth, Sutton and DevonportCon (front bench)no
Robert SymsPooleCon (front bench)no
Jim FitzpatrickPoplar and LimehouseLab (minister)no
Penny MordauntPortsmouth NorthCon (front bench)no
Stuart AndrewPudseyConno
Justine GreeningPutneyCon (front bench)no
Mark FrancoisRayleigh and WickfordCon (front bench)no
Rob WilsonReading EastConno
Alok SharmaReading WestConno
Ian SwalesRedcarLDemno
Karen LumleyRedditchCon (front bench)no
Chris BryantRhonddaLab (minister)no
Nigel EvansRibble ValleyCon (front bench)no
William HagueRichmond (Yorks)Con (front bench)no
Zac GoldsmithRichmond ParkCon (front bench)no
James DuddridgeRochford and Southend EastCon (front bench)no
Andrew RosindellRomfordCon (front bench)no
Caroline NokesRomsey and Southampton NorthCon (front bench)no
Mark PawseyRugbyCon (front bench)no
Nick HurdRuislip, Northwood and PinnerConno
Alan HaselhurstSaffron WaldenCon (front bench)no
John GlenSalisburyConno
Phil WilsonSedgefieldLab (minister)no
Nigel AdamsSelby and AinstyConno
Paul BlomfieldSheffield CentralLab (minister)no
Philip DaviesShipleyCon (front bench)no
Daniel KawczynskiShrewsbury and AtchamConno
Julian SmithSkipton and RiponConno
Stephen PhillipsSleaford and North HykehamCon (front bench)no
David HeathSomerton and FromeLDem (front bench)no
Stephen MetcalfeSouth Basildon and East ThurrockCon (front bench)no
Andrew LansleySouth CambridgeshireConno
Heather WheelerSouth DerbyshireCon (front bench)no
Sheryll MurraySouth East CornwallCon (front bench)no
John HayesSouth Holland and The DeepingsCon (front bench)no
Richard BaconSouth NorfolkCon (front bench)no
Andrea LeadsomSouth NorthamptonshireCon (front bench)no
Emma Lewell-BuckSouth ShieldsLab (minister)no
Gavin WilliamsonSouth StaffordshireConno
Tim YeoSouth SuffolkCon (front bench)no
Robert BucklandSouth SwindonCon (front bench)no
Laura SandysSouth ThanetCon (front bench)no
Andrew SelousSouth West BedfordshireCon (front bench)no
David GaukeSouth West HertfordshireCon (front bench)no
Jeremy HuntSouth West SurreyCon (front bench)no
Andrew MurrisonSouth West WiltshireCon (front bench)no
John PughSouthportLDem (front bench)no
Kwasi KwartengSpelthorneCon (front bench)no
Dave WattsSt Helens NorthLab (minister)no
Shaun WoodwardSt Helens South and WhistonLabno
Andrew GeorgeSt IvesLDem (front bench)tellaye
Jeremy LefroyStaffordCon (front bench)no
Karen BradleyStaffordshire MoorlandsCon (front bench)no
Anne McGuireStirlingLab (minister)no
James WhartonStockton SouthConno
Joan WalleyStoke-on-Trent NorthLab (minister)no
Bill CashStoneCon (front bench)no
Margot JamesStourbridgeConno
Nadhim ZahawiStratford-on-AvonCon (front bench)no
Neil CarmichaelStroudCon (front bench)no
Therese CoffeySuffolk CoastalCon (front bench)no
Michael GoveSurrey HeathCon (front bench)no
Paul BurstowSutton and CheamLDemno
Jeremy BrowneTaunton DeaneLDem (front bench)no
Laurence RobertsonTewkesburyCon (front bench)no
Geoffrey Clifton-BrownThe CotswoldsCon (front bench)no
Mark PritchardThe WrekinCon (front bench)no
Anne McIntoshThirsk and MaltonCon (front bench)no
Steve WebbThornbury and YateLDem (front bench)no
Neil ParishTiverton and HonitonCon (front bench)no
Sadiq KhanTootingLab (minister)no
Paul MurphyTorfaenLab (minister)no
Sarah WollastonTotnesCon (front bench)no
Sarah NewtonTruro and FalmouthCon (front bench)no
Greg ClarkTunbridge WellsCon (front bench)no
Alan CampbellTynemouthLab (minister)no
John RandallUxbridge and South RuislipCon (front bench)no
Chris RuaneVale of ClwydLab (minister)no
Alun CairnsVale of GlamorganCon (front bench)no
Ed VaizeyWantageCon (front bench)no
David MowatWarrington SouthConno
Sharon HodgsonWashington and Sunderland WestLab (minister)no
Richard HarringtonWatfordConno
Peter AldousWaveneyCon (front bench)no
Graham EvansWeaver ValeCon (front bench)no
Tessa MuntWellsLDem (front bench)no
Grant ShappsWelwyn HatfieldCon (front bench)no
John HealeyWentworth and DearneLabno
Robert SmithWest Aberdeenshire and KincardineLDem (front bench)no
Oliver LetwinWest DorsetCon (front bench)no
Matthew HancockWest SuffolkCon (front bench)no
John PenroseWeston-Super-MareCon (front bench)tellno
Lisa NandyWiganLab (minister)no
Stephen HammondWimbledonConno
Priti PatelWithamCon (front bench)no
Paul UppalWolverhampton South WestConno
Robin WalkerWorcesterCon (front bench)no
Peter BottomleyWorthing WestCon (front bench)no
Ian LucasWrexhamLab (minister)no
Steven BakerWycombeCon (front bench)no
Ben WallaceWyre and Preston NorthCon (front bench)no
Mark GarnierWyre ForestCon (front bench)no
Julian SturdyYork OuterConno

About the Project

The Public Whip is a not-for-profit, open source website created in 2003 by Francis Irving and Julian Todd and now run by Bairwell Ltd.

The Whip on the Web

Help keep PublicWhip alive