Motion to Sit in Private — 22 Oct 2021

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 (in-line with Standing Order 41). 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 |

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 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
Craig WilliamsMontgomeryshireCon (front bench)aye
Bim AfolamiHitchin and HarpendenConno
Adam AfriyieWindsorConno
Nickie AikenCities of London and WestminsterCon (front bench)no
Lee AndersonAshfieldCon (front bench)no
Stuart AndrewPudseyCon (front bench)no
Edward ArgarCharnwoodCon (front bench)no
Victoria AtkinsLouth and HorncastleCon (front bench)no
Gareth BaconOrpingtonCon (front bench)no
Richard BaconSouth NorfolkCon (front bench)no
Kemi BadenochSaffron WaldenCon (front bench)no
Shaun BaileyWest Bromwich WestCon (front bench)no
Duncan BakerNorth NorfolkCon (front bench)no
Harriett BaldwinWest WorcestershireCon (front bench)no
Simon BaynesClwyd SouthCon (front bench)no
Aaron BellNewcastle-under-LymeCon (front bench)no
Scott BentonBlackpool Southwhilst Con (front bench)no
Saqib BhattiMeridenConno
Peter BottomleyWorthing WestCon (front bench)no
Jack BreretonStoke-on-Trent SouthCon (front bench)no
Steve BrineWinchesterCon (front bench)no
Sara BritcliffeHyndburnConno
Anthony BrowneSouth CambridgeshireCon (front bench)no
Fiona BruceCongletonCon (front bench)no
Felicity BuchanKensingtonCon (front bench)no
Robert BucklandSouth SwindonConno
Alex BurghartBrentwood and OngarCon (front bench)no
Rob ButlerAylesburyCon (front bench)no
Andy CarterWarrington SouthCon (front bench)no
James CartlidgeSouth SuffolkCon (front bench)no
Bill CashStoneCon (front bench)no
Miriam CatesPenistone and StocksbridgeCon (front bench)no
Alex ChalkCheltenhamCon (front bench)no
Jo ChurchillBury St EdmundsCon (front bench)no
Greg ClarkTunbridge WellsCon (front bench)no
Simon ClarkeMiddlesbrough South and East ClevelandCon (front bench)no
Brendan Clarke-SmithBassetlawCon (front bench)no
Chris ClarksonHeywood and MiddletonCon (front bench)no
James CleverlyBraintreeCon (front bench)no
Therese CoffeySuffolk CoastalCon (front bench)no
Damian CollinsFolkestone and HytheCon (front bench)no
Alberto CostaSouth LeicestershireCon (front bench)no
Robert CourtsWitneyCon (front bench)no
Claire CoutinhoEast SurreyConno
Virginia CrosbieYnys MônCon (front bench)no
James DalyBury NorthCon (front bench)no
David DaviesMonmouthCon (front bench)no
Gareth DaviesGrantham and StamfordCon (front bench)no
Mims DaviesMid SussexCon (front bench)no
David DavisHaltemprice and HowdenConno
Dehenna DavisonBishop AucklandCon (front bench)no
Sarah DinesDerbyshire DalesCon (front bench)no
Jonathan DjanoglyHuntingdonConno
Leo DochertyAldershotCon (front bench)no
Nadine DorriesMid BedfordshireCon (front bench)no
Steve DoubleSt Austell and NewquayCon (front bench)no
Oliver DowdenHertsmereCon (front bench)no
Flick DrummondMeon ValleyCon (front bench)no
Philip DunneLudlowCon (front bench)no
Mark EastwoodDewsburyConno
Ruth EdwardsRushcliffeCon (front bench)no
Michael EllisNorthampton NorthCon (front bench)no
Natalie ElphickeDoverCon (front bench)no
Luke EvansBosworthCon (front bench)no
David EvennettBexleyheath and CrayfordCon (front bench)no
Ben EverittMilton Keynes NorthCon (front bench)no
Laura FarrisNewburyCon (front bench)no
Simon FellBarrow and FurnessCon (front bench)no
Mark FletcherBolsoverCon (front bench)no
Nicholas FletcherDon ValleyCon (front bench)no
Vicky FordChelmsfordCon (front bench)no
Liam FoxNorth SomersetConno
Lucy FrazerSouth East CambridgeshireCon (front bench)no
George FreemanMid NorfolkCon (front bench)no
Richard FullerNorth East BedfordshireCon (front bench)no
Roger GaleNorth ThanetCon (front bench)no
Nusrat GhaniWealdenCon (front bench)no
Jo GideonStoke-on-Trent CentralCon (front bench)no
John GlenSalisburyCon (front bench)no
Chris GraylingEpsom and EwellConno
James GrundyLeighCon (front bench)no
Robert HalfonHarlowCon (front bench)no
Luke HallThornbury and YateConno
Stephen HammondWimbledonConno
Rebecca HarrisCastle PointCon (front bench)no
Sally-Ann HartHastings and RyeCon (front bench)no
Oliver HealdNorth East HertfordshireConno
Chris Heaton-HarrisDaventryCon (front bench)no
Gordon HendersonSittingbourne and SheppeyConno
Antony HigginbothamBurnleyCon (front bench)no
Damian HindsEast HampshireCon (front bench)no
Richard HoldenNorth West DurhamCon (front bench)no
Kevin HollinrakeThirsk and MaltonCon (front bench)no
Philip HolloboneKetteringCon (front bench)no
Paul HolmesEastleighCon (front bench)no
John HowellHenleyConno
Paul HowellSedgefieldCon (front bench)no
Nigel HuddlestonMid WorcestershireCon (front bench)no
Neil HudsonPenrith and The BorderCon (front bench)no
Eddie HughesWalsall NorthCon (front bench)no
Jane HuntLoughboroughConno
Jeremy HuntSouth West SurreyCon (front bench)no
Tom HuntIpswichCon (front bench)no
Mark JenkinsonWorkingtonCon (front bench)no
Andrea JenkynsMorley and OutwoodCon (front bench)no
Gareth JohnsonDartfordCon (front bench)tellno
David JohnstonWantageCon (front bench)no
Andrew JonesHarrogate and KnaresboroughCon (front bench)no
David JonesClwyd WestCon (front bench)no
Marcus JonesNuneatonCon (front bench)no
Alicia KearnsRutland and MeltonCon (front bench)no
Gillian KeeganChichesterCon (front bench)no
Greg KnightEast YorkshireCon (front bench)no
Kate KnivetonBurtonConno
Danny KrugerDevizesCon (front bench)no
Kwasi KwartengSpelthorneCon (front bench)no
John LamontBerwickshire, Roxburgh and SelkirkCon (front bench)no
Robert LarganHigh PeakCon (front bench)no
Andrew LewerNorthampton SouthCon (front bench)no
Marco LonghiDudley NorthCon (front bench)no
Julia LopezHornchurch and UpminsterCon (front bench)no
Jack LoprestiFilton and Bradley StokeCon (front bench)no
Tim LoughtonEast Worthing and ShorehamCon (front bench)no
Cherilyn MackroryTruro and FalmouthCon (front bench)no
Rachel MacleanRedditchCon (front bench)no
Alan MakHavantCon (front bench)no
Kit MalthouseNorth West HampshireCon (front bench)no
Anthony MangnallTotnesCon (front bench)no
Scott MannNorth CornwallCon (front bench)tellno
Julie MarsonHertford and StortfordCon (front bench)no
Jerome MayhewBroadlandCon (front bench)no
Paul MaynardBlackpool North and CleveleysConno
Jason McCartneyColne ValleyConno
Stephen MetcalfeSouth Basildon and East ThurrockConno
Robin MillarAberconwyCon (front bench)no
Maria MillerBasingstokeCon (front bench)no
Amanda MillingCannock ChaseCon (front bench)no
Nigel MillsAmber ValleyCon (front bench)no
Andrew MitchellSutton ColdfieldConno
Gagan MohindraSouth West HertfordshireCon (front bench)no
Robbie MooreKeighleyCon (front bench)no
Penny MordauntPortsmouth NorthCon (front bench)no
James MorrisHalesowen and Rowley RegisCon (front bench)no
Joy MorrisseyBeaconsfieldConno
Jill MortimerHartlepoolConno
Wendy MortonAldridge-BrownhillsCon (front bench)no
Kieran MullanCrewe and NantwichCon (front bench)no
Holly Mumby-CroftScunthorpeConno
David MundellDumfriesshire, Clydesdale and TweeddaleCon (front bench)no
Sheryll MurraySouth East CornwallCon (front bench)no
Lia NiciGreat GrimsbyCon (front bench)no
Jesse NormanHereford and South HerefordshireConno
Neil O'BrienHarboroughCon (front bench)no
Matthew OffordHendonCon (front bench)no
Neil ParishTiverton and HonitonCon (front bench)no
Mark PawseyRugbyCon (front bench)no
Mike PenningHemel HempsteadConno
John PenroseWeston-Super-MareConno
Christopher PincherTamworthwhilst Con (front bench)no
Rebecca PowTaunton DeaneCon (front bench)no
Victoria PrentisBanburyCon (front bench)no
Tom PursgloveCorbyCon (front bench)no
Will QuinceColchesterCon (front bench)no
Tom RandallGedlingCon (front bench)no
Jacob Rees-MoggNorth East SomersetCon (front bench)no
Nicola RichardsWest Bromwich EastCon (front bench)no
Angela RichardsonGuildfordCon (front bench)no
Dean RussellWatfordCon (front bench)no
David RutleyMacclesfieldCon (front bench)no
Gary SambrookBirmingham, NorthfieldCon (front bench)no
Selaine SaxbyNorth DevonCon (front bench)no
Paul ScullySutton and CheamCon (front bench)no
Bob SeelyIsle of WightCon (front bench)no
Andrew SelousSouth West BedfordshireCon (front bench)no
Alok SharmaReading WestCon (front bench)no
Alec ShelbrookeElmet and RothwellCon (front bench)no
David SimmondsRuislip, Northwood and PinnerCon (front bench)no
Chris SkidmoreKingswoodCon (front bench)no
Chloe SmithNorwich NorthCon (front bench)no
Greg SmithBuckinghamCon (front bench)no
Julian SmithSkipton and RiponConno
Amanda SollowayDerby NorthCon (front bench)no
Ben SpencerRunnymede and WeybridgeCon (front bench)no
Alexander StaffordRother ValleyCon (front bench)no
Bob StewartBeckenhamCon (front bench)no
Iain StewartMilton Keynes SouthCon (front bench)no
Mel StrideCentral DevonCon (front bench)no
Graham StuartBeverley and HoldernessConno
James SunderlandBracknellCon (front bench)no
Desmond SwayneNew Forest WestCon (front bench)no
Robert SymsPooleCon (front bench)no
Maggie ThroupErewashCon (front bench)no
Edward TimpsonEddisburyCon (front bench)no
Kelly TolhurstRochester and StroodConno
Michael TomlinsonMid Dorset and North PooleCon (front bench)no
Craig TraceyNorth WarwickshireConno
Shailesh VaraNorth West CambridgeshireCon (front bench)no
Martin VickersCleethorpesCon (front bench)no
Matt VickersStockton SouthCon (front bench)no
Theresa VilliersChipping BarnetCon (front bench)no
Christian WakefordBury Southwhilst Con (front bench)no
Charles WalkerBroxbourneCon (front bench)no
Jamie WallisBridgendCon (front bench)no
Matt WarmanBoston and SkegnessConno
Suzanne WebbStourbridgeCon (front bench)no
Heather WheelerSouth DerbyshireCon (front bench)no
Craig WhittakerCalder ValleyCon (front bench)no
James WildNorth West NorfolkCon (front bench)no
Mike WoodDudley SouthCon (front bench)no
Jeremy WrightKenilworth and SouthamConno
Jacob YoungRedcarCon (front bench)no
Nadhim ZahawiStratford-on-AvonCon (front bench)no
Robert GoodwillScarborough and WhitbyCon (front bench)both
Jeremy CorbynIslington Northwhilst Independentno
Barry GardinerBrent NorthLab (minister)tellaye
Jessica MordenNewport EastLab (minister)tellaye
Mike AmesburyWeaver ValeLab (minister)no
Fleur AndersonPutneyLab (minister)no
Tonia AntoniazziGowerLab (minister)no
Paula BarkerLiverpool, WavertreeLabno
Apsana BegumPoplar and LimehouseLab (minister)no
Hilary BennLeeds CentralLabno
Clive BettsSheffield South EastLab (minister)no
Paul BlomfieldSheffield CentralLab (minister)no
Kevin BrennanCardiff WestLab (minister)no
Nick BrownNewcastle upon Tyne Eastwhilst Lab (front bench)no
Richard BurgonLeeds EastLab (minister)no
Ian ByrneLiverpool, West DerbyLab (minister)no
Ruth CadburyBrentford and IsleworthLab (minister)no
Alan CampbellTynemouthLab (minister)no
Dan CardenLiverpool, WaltonLab (minister)no
Bambos CharalambousEnfield, Southgatewhilst Lab (front bench)no
Feryal ClarkEnfield NorthLab (minister)no
Yvette CooperNormanton, Pontefract and CastlefordLab (minister)no
Stella CreasyWalthamstowLabno
Judith CumminsBradford SouthLab (minister)no
Wayne DavidCaerphillyLab (minister)no
Geraint DaviesSwansea Westwhilst Lab (front bench)no
Alex Davies-JonesPontypriddLab (minister)no
Anneliese DoddsOxford EastLab (minister)no
Peter DowdBootleLab (minister)no
Jack DromeyBirmingham, ErdingtonLab (minister)no
Maria EagleGarston and HalewoodLab (minister)no
Clive EffordElthamLab (minister)no
Chris ElmoreOgmoreLab (minister)no
Florence EshalomiVauxhallLab (minister)no
Bill EstersonSefton CentralLab (minister)no
Chris EvansIslwynLab (minister)no
Yvonne FovargueMakerfieldLab (minister)no
Vicky FoxcroftLewisham, DeptfordLab (minister)no
Mary FoyCity of DurhamLab (minister)no
Preet Kaur GillBirmingham, EdgbastonLab (minister)no
Mary GlindonNorth TynesideLab (minister)no
Kate GreenStretford and UrmstonLab (minister)no
Lilian GreenwoodNottingham SouthLab (minister)no
Nia GriffithLlanelliLab (minister)no
Fabian HamiltonLeeds North EastLab (minister)no
Emma HardyKingston upon Hull West and HessleLab (minister)no
Harriet HarmanCamberwell and PeckhamLab (minister)no
John HealeyWentworth and DearneLab (minister)no
Mark HendrickPrestonLab (minister)no
Kate HollernBlackburnLab (minister)no
Rachel HopkinsLuton SouthLab (minister)no
George HowarthKnowsleyLab (minister)no
Imran HussainBradford EastLab (minister)no
Kim JohnsonLiverpool, RiversideLab (minister)no
Darren JonesBristol North WestLab (minister)no
Gerald JonesMerthyr Tydfil and RhymneyLab (minister)no
Ruth JonesNewport WestLab (minister)no
Sarah JonesCroydon CentralLab (minister)no
Mike KaneWythenshawe and Sale EastLab (minister)no
Afzal KhanManchester, GortonLab (minister)no
Stephen KinnockAberavonLab (minister)no
Peter KyleHoveLab (minister)no
Ian LaveryWansbeckLabno
Kim LeadbeaterBatley and SpenLabno
Clive LewisNorwich SouthLabno
Tony LloydRochdaleLab (minister)no
Rebecca Long-BaileySalford and EcclesLab (minister)no
Holly LynchHalifaxLab (minister)no
Justin MaddersEllesmere Port and NestonLab (minister)no
Khalid MahmoodBirmingham, Perry BarrLabno
Seema MalhotraFeltham and HestonLab (minister)no
Rachael MaskellYork CentralLab (minister)no
Kerry McCarthyBristol EastLab (minister)no
Andy McDonaldMiddlesbroughLabno
John Martin McDonnellHayes and HarlingtonLab (minister)no
Pat McFaddenWolverhampton South EastLab (minister)no
Alison McGovernWirral SouthLab (minister)no
Jim McMahonOldham West and RoytonLab (minister)no
Anna McMorrinCardiff NorthLab (minister)no
Ian MearnsGatesheadLab (minister)no
Stephen MorganPortsmouth SouthLab (minister)no
Grahame MorrisEasingtonLab (minister)no
Ian MurrayEdinburgh SouthLab (minister)no
James MurrayEaling NorthLab (minister)no
Charlotte NicholsWarrington NorthLab (minister)no
Alex NorrisNottingham NorthLab (minister)no
Chi OnwurahNewcastle upon Tyne CentralLab (minister)no
Abena Oppong-AsareErith and ThamesmeadLab (minister)no
Kate OsborneJarrowLab (minister)no
Taiwo OwatemiCoventry North WestLab (minister)no
Sarah OwenLuton NorthLab (minister)no
Matthew PennycookGreenwich and WoolwichLab (minister)no
Luke PollardPlymouth, Sutton and DevonportLab (minister)no
Yasmin QureshiBolton South EastLab (minister)no
Christina ReesNeathwhilst Lab (front bench)no
Rachel ReevesLeeds WestLab (minister)no
Jonathan ReynoldsStalybridge and HydeLab (minister)no
Bell Ribeiro-AddyStreathamLab (minister)no
Marie RimmerSt Helens South and WhistonLab (minister)no
Matt RoddaReading EastLab (minister)no
Lloyd Russell-MoyleBrighton, KemptownLab (minister)no
Naseem ShahBradford WestLab (minister)no
Barry SheermanHuddersfieldLabno
Cat SmithLancaster and FleetwoodLab (minister)no
Jeff SmithManchester, WithingtonLab (minister)no
Karin SmythBristol SouthLab (minister)no
Alex SobelLeeds North WestLab (minister)no
Graham StringerBlackley and BroughtonLab (minister)no
Mark TamiAlyn and DeesideLab (minister)no
Sam TarryIlford SouthLab (minister)no
Nick Thomas-SymondsTorfaenLab (minister)no
Stephen TimmsEast HamLab (minister)no
Valerie VazWalsall SouthLabno
Matt WesternWarwick and LeamingtonLab (minister)no
Mick WhitleyBirkenheadLab (minister)no
Beth WinterCynon ValleyLab (minister)no
Mohammad YasinBedfordLab (minister)no
Daniel ZeichnerCambridgeLab (minister)no
Christine JardineEdinburgh WestLDem (front bench)no
Ben LakeCeredigionPC (front bench)no
Patrick GradyGlasgow NorthSNP (front bench)aye
Hannah BardellLivingstonSNP (front bench)no
Joanna CherryEdinburgh South WestSNP (front bench)no
Martin DochertyWest DunbartonshireSNP (front bench)no
Stewart HosieDundee EastSNP (front bench)no
Stuart McDonaldCumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch EastSNP (front bench)no
Gavin NewlandsPaisley and Renfrewshire NorthSNP (front bench)no
Chris StephensGlasgow South WestSNP (front bench)no
Owen ThompsonMidlothianSNP (front bench)no

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