So Labour won the vote to reject last night’s motion in the Commons on whether to have an enquiry into the Government’s conduct in the run-up to the Iraq war.
But Labour’s majority of 25 disguises several interesting voting patterns.
Firstly, this was an Opposition Day debate. Labour MPs who do not agree with Blair are more reluctant to vote for a motion led by an opposition party. This was particularly applicable last night, with the SNP and Plaid Cymru moving the motion and the Welsh and Scottish Parliamentary elections due in 6 months. Potential Labour rebels were reluctant to vote in a way that would give credit to the Nationalists.
Next, the Tories have brass necks. Having joined Labour in 2003 in backing the Iraq war, they put a two-line whip on backing the enquiry last nght. This amounts to a “not quite pulling out all the stops” approach to getting their MPs out to vote. I rather think had the Tories been in power in 2003, they would have taken the same decisions as Blair and would be as obstructive to an enquiry now.
So the vote went 298 to 273. The Public Whip helpfully analyses the vote in a way that puts Hansard to shame. Looking at the Public Whip’s data I find:
- 12 Labour MPs voted for the enquiry – well done to them for putting expediency aside and voting with principle;
- 1 Labour MP went through both lobbies (David Taylor of NW Leics) – this may have been to cancel out a mistaken vote or to register an absention;
- 41 Labour MPs were either absent or abstained;
- 14 Tory MPs were either absent or abstained;
- 59 Lib Dem MPs voted for the enquiry, the remaining 4 were either absent or abstained;
- 3 Democratic Unionist MPs were either absent or abstained;
- 1 Plaid Cymru MP was either absent or abstained (Elfyn Llwyd of Meirionnydd Nant Conwy).
What does this mean?
MPs may have abstained because they were ill, “paired” due unavoidable committments or because they chose not to vote. I suspect many of the 41 Labour non-shows and not a few of the 14 Tories fall into the latter category.
I haven’t much time for those Labour MPs who want an enquiry but couldn’t bring themselves to vote for a Nationalist- sponsored motion. What is more important? How things might appear to voters or the reality of the Iraq War?
The deliberate Tory stay-aways just reflect their muddle on this issue. They backed the government on Iraq whilst the Lib Dems, with access to the same information, chose to oppose. Now the Tories have no clear idea what to do about the situation: Back Labour’s line? Call for an enquiry? They are rudderless on the issue.
The Lib Dems and the Nationlists put nearly all of their Parliamentary numbers behind the call for a much needed enquiry. The motion may have carried with half a dozen or so more Tories, a couple more DUP MPs and a dozen more Labour MPs putting their principles before perception.
Instead the Government is still not properly held to account for the deception of why Iraq was invaded. And we cannot learn the much-needed lessons that might stop the same mistakes being made again.
Those “rebels” & absentees/abstainers:
Labour MPs voting for the enquiry:
| Harry Cohen | Leyton & Wanstead |
| Jeremy Corbyn | Islington North |
| Mark Fisher | Stoke-on-Trent Central |
| Roger Godsiff | Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath |
| Glenda Jackson | Hampstead & Highgate |
| Robert Marshall-Andrews | Medway |
| John McDonnell | Hayes & Harlington |
| Alan Simpson | Nottingham South |
| Peter Soulsby | Leicester South |
| Gavin Strang | Edinburgh East |
| Robert Wareing | Liverpool, West Derby |
| Mike Wood | Batley & Spen |
Tories who didn’t vote:
| Michael Ancram | Devizes |
| James Arbuthnot | North East Hampshire |
| John Bercow | Buckingham |
| Alistair Burt | North East Bedfordshire |
| Patrick Cormack | South Staffordshire |
| Quentin Davies | Grantham & Stamford |
| Adam Holloway | Gravesham |
| Mark Lancaster | North East Milton Keynes |
| Julian Lewis | New Forest East |
| Ian Liddell-Grainger | Bridgwater |
| Michael Mates | East Hampshire |
| Laurence Robertson | Tewkesbury |
| Grant Shapps | Welwyn Hatfield |
| David Willetts | Havant |
Labour MPs who didn’t vote:
| Diane Abbott | Hackney North & Stoke Newington |
| John Austin | Erith & Thamesmead |
| Vera Baird | Redcar |
| David Borrow | South Ribble |
| Lyn Brown | West Ham |
| Martin Caton | Gower |
| Ben Chapman | Wirral South |
| David Chaytor | Bury North |
| Frank Cook | Stockton North |
| David Crausby | Bolton North East |
| Claire Curtis-Thomas | Crosby |
| Frank Dobson | Holborn & St Pancras |
| Paul Flynn | Newport West |
| Hywel Francis | Aberavon |
| Linda Gilroy | Plymouth, Sutton |
| Nigel Griffiths | Edinburgh South |
| Dai Havard | Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney |
| David Heyes | Ashton-under-Lyne |
| Kate Hoey | Vauxhall |
| Kelvin Hopkins | Luton North |
| Brian Jenkins | Tamworth |
| Lynne Jones | Birmingham, Selly Oak |
| Gerald Kaufman | Manchester, Gorton |
| Peter Kilfoyle | Liverpool, Walton |
| Tony Lloyd | Manchester Central |
| John MacDougall | Glenrothes |
| Judy Mallaber | Amber Valley |
| Ian McCartney | Makerfield |
| Michael Meacher | Oldham West & Royton |
| Julie Morgan | Cardiff North |
| Paul Murphy | Torfaen |
| Gordon Prentice | Pendle |
| Mohammad Sarwar | Glasgow Central |
| Angela Smith | Sheffield, Hillsborough |
| Geraldine Smith | Morecambe & Lunesdale |
| John Smith | Vale of Glamorgan |
| Graham Stringer | Manchester, Blackley |
| Dari Taylor | Stockton South |
| Emily Thornberry | Islington South & Finsbury |
| Shaun Woodward | St Helens South |
| Tony Wright | Cannock Chase |
Lib Dems who didn’t vote:
| A J Beith | Berwick-upon-Tweed |
| Evan Harris | Oxford West & Abingdon |
| Paul Rowen | Rochdale |
| Jennifer Willott | Cardiff Central |
DUP MPs who didn’t vote:
| Jeffrey M Donaldson | Lagan Valley |
| William McCrea | South Antrim |
| David Simpson | Upper Bann |
