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Gordon Birtwistle

Gordon Birtwistle

Last served Burnley (2010-05-06 – 2015-03-30)
66.8
Conservative
12 coded votes
825
Total votes
356
Ayes
469
Noes
0
Other

Parliamentary History

6 May 2010 – 30 Mar 2015 (4 yrs 10 mo)

Ideology spectrum

66.8
ProgressiveCentreConservative

Conservative — based on 12 coded votes across 3 axes (1% coverage).

Policy axis scores

0 = progressive, 50 = centre, 100 = conservative. Based on coded division votes.

Economic policy 80
Low confidence 5 votes
Civil liberties 100
Low confidence 3 votes
Climate / energy 25
Low confidence 4 votes

Voting trends (most recent 12 months of activity)

Voting record

March 2015 6 votes
Division Date Vote
Social care is a priority for the Government, and, in the context of difficult spending decisions, we have taken steps to protect care and support services. For example, we have allocated extra funds for those services during the current Parliament. We have created a better care fund, which, next month, will introduce a £5.3 billion pooled budget for health and care that will provide much needed f... 25 Mar 2015 AYE
I understand the hon. Gentleman’s point, and there is also the issue about where people live, where they work and what services they use. The south-west has a particular issue when its population doubles every summer, because people may not make a contribution through taxes paid directly in the south-west, but they are using services there. There is another whole argument to be had about the locat... 25 Mar 2015 NO
He also said that “the best evidence we have still suggests that raising the top rate of tax would raise little revenue and make, at best, a marginal contribution to reducing the budget deficit an incoming government would face after the next election.” I am spoilt for choice, but ladies first. I thank the Minister for his generosity in giving way again. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has said t... 25 Mar 2015 NO
That is why the £12 billion of welfare cuts that have been pencilled in for some two years now in various statements by the Treasury, and by the Chancellor in particular, are very important. Part of that approach might be to cut away further the support given to people in work, perhaps through the tax credits system, at some future point. Tax credit is to be replaced by universal credit, but the i... 25 Mar 2015 NO
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. As I was saying, I am slightly confused. It worries me that we are having a debate about immigration when we should be debating slavery, which is what this Bill is about. Does the Minister agree that we seem to have heard the Labour Front-Bench team and the hon. Member for Linlithgow and East Falkirk (Michael Connarty) being what some might call soft on immigration... 17 Mar 2015 AYE
As many in the House are aware, I have been interested in the secondary ticketing market for many years now, and, alongside the hon. Member for Hove (Mike Weatherley) , I have co-chaired the all-party parliamentary group on ticket abuse, the report of which spearheaded the former amendments to those we are debating today. Does the hon. Lady agree that it was bizarre that the CMA came out with guid... 9 Mar 2015 AYE
February 2015 13 votes
Division Date Vote
Question accordingly agreed to. New clause 25 added to the Bill. 23 Feb 2015 NO
(a) to promote change in the social and cultural patterns of behaviour with a view to eradicating prejudices, customs, traditions and all other practices which are based on the idea of the inferiority of women and which may amount to pressure to seek a termination on the grounds of the sex of the foetus; (b) to ensure best practice exists in identifying women being coerced or pressured into seekin... 23 Feb 2015 AYE
(a) the Association of Chief Police Officers; (b) the National Crime Agency; and (c) such other persons as the Secretary of State thinks fit.”” — (Diana Johnson.) This amendment establishes child abduction warning notices (CAWNs) on a statutory basis, addressing concerns raised in the House of Lords on the issue, by introducing a two-stage process providing judicial oversight, without compromising... 23 Feb 2015 NO
(c) the Disclosure and Barring Service. (7) A person guilty of an offence under this Part of this Act shall be liable— (a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both such imprisonment and fine; (b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years.”— (Diana Johnson.) Brought... 23 Feb 2015 NO
(2) After section 8, insert— “(8A) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under any provision of this Act to prove that he knew, or had reasonable cause to believe, that the information, document or article disclosed was— (a) germane to an official investigation of, or inquiry into, historic child abuse, and (b) provided only to an officer of such an investigation or inquiry.”— (John... 23 Feb 2015 NO
As freedom of information requests have revealed, the Government’s attempt jointly to badge all stakeholders together did not succeed, because the BMA rejected the very guidance published by the Government. It said that gender selection abortion is “normally unethical”, but that the guidance “fails to reflect the…full legal situation regarding abortion and gender.” The BMA therefore had a differen... 23 Feb 2015 AYE
I leave the House and the Minister with the thought that in the present economic climate, given the fall in the price of oil, we can allow ourselves the luxury of making sure that the regulatory regime is independent and fit for purpose and that no fracking will take place until the regime has been tried and tested. to oil prices internationally. That is why I and other Members on both sides of th... 11 Feb 2015 AYE
Question accordingly negatived. Question put forthwith ( Standing Order No. 31(2) ), That the proposed words be there added. 11 Feb 2015 AYE
We have been calling for Lord Green to make a full and frank statement. No allegations have been made, but he needs to explain what he knew about what was going on at HSBC. The Exchequer Secretary should correct the record on what we have been requesting from the Government and from Lord Green and say whether she agrees that he should make a full and frank statement. Let us be quite clear on the p... 11 Feb 2015 NO
“the draft Country Specific Recommendations published 2 June call for commitment to the UK’s Youth Contract to be maintained.” In other words, it would not pursue Labour’s proposal on guaranteed jobs, and what we did was correct. We supported people and put money in place to create work experience, sector-based work academies, and incentives. I am grateful to the Minister for giving way; this must... 11 Feb 2015 NO
That is not all. Contrary to the impression that we are somehow drawing the heart out of local communities through this funding settlement, we have to see it in the context of resources that have been given to local areas. For instance, £12 billon is being given to local enterprise partnerships in England to spend on local economic priorities. Those growth deals will help to train young people, cr... 10 Feb 2015 AYE
Question accordingly agreed to. Motion made, and Question put forthwith ( Standing Order No. 118(6) ), 2 Feb 2015 AYE
With the leave of the House, Mr Speaker, I should like to make a few more comments about the order. I am grateful to the official Opposition for their co-operation. There has been a remarkable consensus in the House this evening, despite all the efforts of the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson) , who did his best to challenge that consensus by violently agreeing with everything that was said ... 2 Feb 2015 AYE
January 2015 10 votes
Division Date Vote
My hon. Friend the Member for Dover (Charlie Elphicke) contrasted the chaos of Labour’s policies, both in this area and more generally, with the competence and careful planning, which is needed for a stable economy, under this Government. The hon. Member for Southampton, Test (Dr Whitehead) made the case for the regulator to regulate hedging policies, which is, I think, a little ambitious. Questio... 14 Jan 2015 NO
Question accordingly agreed to. Amendments (a) to (k) agreed to. Motion made, and Question put, 13 Jan 2015 AYE
The whole purpose of the reforms is to protect public bodies against cases brought on a technicality. One of my concerns that has not been addressed is about secondary legislation. I have severe doubts about whether secondary legislation should be subject to judicial review, but it is; Parliament itself can be judicially reviewed. The reforms are not designed to undermine the core purpose of judic... 13 Jan 2015 AYE
“signed off by the ‘quad’”? Did the Chief Secretary sign them off? Was it a mistake or is he now trying to “reverse ferret” out of it? Which is it? deficit, we will then balance the books, allowing borrowing only for productive capital investment or for financial stability. That means that we will finish the job and then be able to invest in our public services so that the people of the country ca... 13 Jan 2015 AYE
Question accordingly negatived. Motion made, and Question put, That this House disagrees with Lords amendment 12.— (Jo Swinson .) 12 Jan 2015 AYE
There has been an encouraging trend in recent years towards safer and more tailored online ticket marketplaces and away from the touts outside venues. These websites can offer much more consumer protection than was available before, often in excess of what the law requires. The sites have processes in place to try to prevent, discourage and punish fraud. Although no market is perfect, we know how ... 12 Jan 2015 NO
Paragraph 13 provides that if the power is used two or more times against the same individual in a six-month period, the police would be allowed to hold the documents a third time for any five days before they need to apply to a court for an extension of time. The court is required to refuse to extend the duration of the travel documents’ retention unless exceptional circumstances apply. The amend... 6 Jan 2015 NO
‘(2) This section shall be repealed on 31 December 2016 unless both Houses of Parliament have passed a resolution that it should continue in force until a future date. (3) The date specified in a resolution of both Houses of Parliament under subsection (2) may be modified by subsequent resolutions of both Houses of Parliament.’. This amendment would require a vote in Parliament to renew the power ... 6 Jan 2015 NO
The Minister frames his response in a reasonable manner but, in line with the international convention on the reduction of statelessness, which is relevant to this measure and to which David Anderson did not refer when he appeared before the Joint Committee on Human Rights, it is an act of treason when a person With those comments, I hope right hon. and hon. Members will be minded not to press the... 6 Jan 2015 NO
Division 123 6 Jan 2015 NO
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