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Gay Age of Consent: MPs who swung vote against lower limit

Tuesday 22 February 1994 19:02 EST
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Thirty-nine Labour MPs voted against consent at 16:

Donald Anderson (Swansea E), Joe Ashton (Bassetlaw), Stuart Bell (Middlesbrough), Joe Benton (Bootle), Gerald Bermingham (St Helens S), David Blunkett (Sheffield Brightside), Jim Callaghan (Heywood and Middleton), Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington), Jamie Cann (Ipswich), Eric Clarke (Midlothian), Bob Cryer (Bradford S), Lawrence Cunliffe (Leigh), Denzil Davies (Llanelli), Don Dixon (Jarrow), James Dunnachie (Glasgow Pollock), Ken Eastham (Manchester Blackley), John Evans (St Helens N), Derek Foster (Bishop Auckland), Llin Golding (Newcastle-under-Lyme), Wyn Griffiths (Bridgend), Peter Hardy (Wentworth), Roy Hughes (Newport E), Barry Jones (Alyn and Deeside), Calum MacDonald (Western Isles), David Marshall (Glasgow Shettleston), Michael Martin (Glasgow Springburn), George Mudie (Leeds E), William O'Brien (Normanton), Stan Orme (Salford E), Robert Parry (Liverpool Riverside), Terry Patchett (Barnsley E), Ray Powell (Ogmore), Martin Redmond (Don Valley), Ted Rowlands (Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney), Nigel Spearing (Newham S), Ann Taylor (Dewsbury), Jack Thompson (Wansbeck), Robert Wareing (Liverpool West Derby), Tony Wright (Cannock and Burntwood).

Forty-two Tories voted for consent at 16:

Peter Ainsworth (Surrey E), David Ashby (Leicestershire NW), Robert Banks (Harrogate), John Biffen (Shropshire N), Peter Bottomley (Eltham), John Bowis (Battersea), Gyles Brandreth (Chester), Michael Brown (Brigg and Cleethorpes), Matthew Carrington (Fulham), Edwina Currie (Derbyshire S), David Curry (Skipton and Ripon), Tim Devlin (Stockton S), Alan Duncan (Rutland and Melton), Harold Elletson (Blackpool N), Michael Fabricant (Staffordshire Mid), Dudley Fishburn (Kensington), Tristan Garel-Jones (Watford), Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury), John Gorst (Hendon N), William Hague (Richmond, Yorks), Dr Keith Hampson (Leeds NW), Jerry Hayes (Harlow), Charles Hendry (High Peak), Alan Howarth (Stratford-on-Avon), Robert G Hughes (Harrow W), Sir John Hunt (Ravensbourne), Bernard Jenkin (Colchester N), Robert B Jones (Hertfordshire W), Robert Key (Salisbury), Jim Lester (Broxtowe), Peter Lloyd (Fareham), David Mellor (Putney), Tony Newton (Braintree), Steven Norris (Epping Forest), Dame Angela Rumbold (Mitcham), Nicholas Scott (Chelsea), Nicholas Soames (Crawley), Robin Squire (Hornchurch), Michael Stern (Bristol NW), William Waldegrave (Bristol W), Gary Waller (Keighley), Sir John Wheeler (Westminster N).

Thirty-two Tory MPs did not vote in the 16 division:

Richard Alexander (Newark), David Atkinson (Bournemouth E), Sir Richard Body (Holland with Boston), Hartley Booth (Finchley), Andrew Bowden (Brighton Kemptown), Peter Brooke (City of London and Westminster S), John Butcher (Coventry SW), Patrick Cormack (Staffordshire S), Julian Critchley (Aldershot), Niranjan Deva (Brentford and Isleworth), Bob Dunn (Dartford), Sir Michael Grylls (Surrey NW), Neil Hamilton (Tatton), Alan Haselhurst (Saffron Walden), David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells), Sir Ralph Howell (Norfolk N), Robert Jackson (Wantage), Gwilym Jones (Cardiff N), Tom King (Bridgwater), Jacqui Lait (Hastings and Rye), Sir Michael Marshall (Arundel), Sir Patrick Mayhew (Tunbridge Wells), Sir Fergus Montgomery (Altrincham and Sale), Richard Needham (Wiltshire N), David Nicholson (Taunton), Sir Wyn Roberts (Conwy), Mark Robinson (Somerton and Frome), Gillian Shephard (Norfolk SW), Richard Shepherd (Aldridge-Brownhills), Tim Smith (Beaconsfield), Ann Winterton (Congleton), Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield).

Sixteen Labour MPs did not vote in the 16 division:

Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe and Nantwich), Andrew Faulds (Warley E), Bruce George (Walsall S), Bryan Gould (Dagenham), Doug Hoyle (Warrington N), Dr John Marek (Wrexham), Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby), John Morris (Aberavon), Gordon Oakes (Halton), Tom Pendry (Stalybridge and Hyde), Allan Rogers (Rhondda), Jeff Rooker (Birmingham Perry Barr), Peter Shore (Bethnal Green and Stepney), Peter Snape (West Bromwich E), Paddy Tipping (Sherwood), Jimmy Wray (Glasgow Provan).

Tellers for lowering the age of consent to 16 were Marjorie Mowlam (Lab Redcar) and Andrew Rowe (C Mid Kent). Tellers for the Noes were Richard Page (C Hertfordshire SW) and Bill Walker (C Tayside N). The tellers do not vote in divisions. The Speaker, Betty Boothroyd and her deputies, Michael Morris (C Northampton S), Geoffrey Lofthouse (Lab Pontefract and Castleford) and Dame Janet Fookes (C Plymouth, Drake), by tradition, also do not vote.

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