The Bill passed its second reading by 268 votes to 70

Last night, MPs voted on the second reading of the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill. The highly controversial legislation has been branded the ‘anti-boycott Bill’ and seeks to prohibit local authorities, universities and public sector pension funds from engaging in ethical considerations in procurement and investment.

The government’s intention with the legislation is to prevent public bodies from boycotting Israeli goods and services as part of the Palestinian civil society led international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. However, the Bill has much more wide-reaching implications for campaigns for environmental and social justice.

Writing in Left Foot Forward today, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas has argued: “The anti-boycott bill is a major attack on freedom of expression, an erosion of fundamental democratic principles and a genuine threat to climate and human rights campaigns.”

Over 60 campaign groups have come out in opposition to the Bill, including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, War on Want and the trade unions Unite, Unison and the National Education Union.

The Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons last night, and will now continue its journey through parliament. 268 MPs voted for the Bill, with 70 MPs voting against.

Below is a full list of how MPs voted on the legislation. Any MP not listed did not vote on the Bill. Most of these MPs will have intentionally abstained. Others will have been ‘paired’ – a mechanism used by MPs when they cannot attend a vote in the House of Commons where an MP from another party who would have voted differently to them agrees not to vote. For example, Labour MPs Zarah Sultana and Bell Ribeiro-Addy have confirmed that they were paired for the vote.

MPs who voted for the Bill

Conservative

• Afolami, Bim
• Aiken, Nickie
• Aldous, Peter
• Allan, Lucy (Proxy vote cast by Mr Marcus Jones)
• Anderson, Stuart
• Andrew, rh Stuart
• Ansell, Caroline
• Argar, rh Edward
• Atherton, Sarah
• Atkins, Victoria
• Bacon, Gareth
• Bacon, Mr Richard
• Bailey, Shaun
• Baillie, Siobhan
• Baker, Duncan
• Baker, Mr Steve
• Baldwin, Harriett
• Barclay, rh Steve
• Baynes, Simon
• Bell, Aaron
• Beresford, Sir Paul
• Bhatti, Saqib (Proxy vote cast by Mr Marcus Jones)
• Blackman, Bob
• Bone, Mr Peter (Proxy vote cast by Mr Marcus Jones)
• Bowie, Andrew
• Bradley, rh Karen
• Brady, Sir Graham
• Braverman, rh Suella
• Brereton, Jack
• Browne, Anthony
• Bruce, Fiona
• Buchan, Felicity
• Burghart, Alex
• Burns, rh Sir Conor
• Cairns, rh Alun
• Carter, Andy
• Cartlidge, James
• Cash, Sir William
• Cates, Miriam
• Caulfield, Maria
• Chalk, rh Alex
• Chope, Sir Christopher
• Churchill, Jo
• Clark, rh Greg
• Clarke, rh Sir Simon
• Clarke, Theo (Proxy vote cast by Mr Marcus Jones)
• Clarke-Smith, Brendan
• Clarkson, Chris
• Cleverly, rh James
• Clifton-Brown, Sir Geoffrey
• Coffey, rh Dr Thérèse
• Colburn, Elliot
• Collins, Damian
• Costa, Alberto
• Courts, Robert
• Coutinho, Claire
• Crabb, rh Stephen
• Crosbie, Virginia
• Daly, James
• Davies, rh David T. C.
• Davies, Gareth
• Davies, Dr James
• Davies, Mims
• Davies, Philip
• Davison, Dehenna
• Dinenage, Dame Caroline
• Dines, Miss Sarah
• Djanogly, Mr Jonathan
• Donelan, rh Michelle (Proxy vote cast by Mr Marcus Jones)
• Double, Steve
• Duddridge, Sir James
• Duguid, David
• Eastwood, Mark
• Edwards, Ruth
• Ellis, rh Sir Michael
• Evans, Dr Luke
• Everitt, Ben
• Fabricant, Michael
• Farris, Laura
• Fell, Simon
• Firth, Anna
• Fletcher, Katherine
• Fletcher, Mark
• Fletcher, Nick
• Foster, Kevin
• Fox, rh Dr Liam
• Francois, rh Mr Mark
• Frazer, rh Lucy
• Freer, Mike
• French, Mr Louie
• Fysh, Mr Marcus
• Garnier, Mark
• Ghani, Ms Nusrat
• Gibb, rh Nick
• Gibson, Peter
• Gideon, Jo
• Glen, rh John
• Gove, rh Michael
• Grayling, rh Chris
• Green, Chris
• Green, rh Damian
• Griffith, Andrew
• Grundy, James
• Halfon, rh Robert
• Hall, Luke
• Hammond, Stephen
• Harper, rh Mr Mark
• Harris, Rebecca
• Harrison, Trudy
• Hart, Sally-Ann
• Hart, rh Simon
• Hayes, rh Sir John
• Heappey, rh James
• Heaton-Harris, rh Chris
• Henderson, Gordon
• Henry, Darren
• Hinds, rh Damian
• Holden, Mr Richard
• Hollinrake, Kevin
• Hollobone, Mr Philip
• Holloway, Adam
• Holmes, Paul
• Howell, John
• Hudson, Dr Neil
• Hughes, Eddie
• Hunt, Jane
• Hunt, Tom
• Jayawardena, rh Mr Ranil
• Jenkin, Sir Bernard
• Jenkinson, Mark
• Jenkyns, Dame Andrea
• Jenrick, rh Robert
• Johnson, Gareth
• Johnston, David
• Jones, Andrew
• Jones, Fay
• Jones, rh Mr Marcus
• Jupp, Simon
• Kawczynski, Daniel
• Keegan, rh Gillian
• Knight, rh Sir Greg
• Kruger, Danny
• Lamont, John
• Largan, Robert
• Leigh, rh Sir Edward
• Levy, Ian
• Lewer, Andrew
• Lewis, rh Sir Brandon
• Lewis, rh Sir Julian
• Liddell-Grainger, Mr Ian
• Loder, Chris
• Lopez, Julia (Proxy vote cast by Mr Marcus Jones)
• Lopresti, Jack
• Lord, Mr Jonathan
• Mackinlay, Craig
• Mackrory, Cherilyn
• Maclean, Rachel
• Mak, Alan
• Mangnall, Anthony
• Mann, Scott
• Marson, Julie
• Mayhew, Jerome
• Maynard, Paul
• McPartland, rh Stephen
• McVey, rh Esther
• Menzies, Mark
• Mercer, rh Johnny
• Merriman, Huw
• Metcalfe, Stephen
• Millar, Robin
• Miller, rh Dame Maria
• Milling, rh Dame Amanda
• Mitchell, rh Mr Andrew
• Mohindra, Mr Gagan
• Moore, Damien
• Moore, Robbie
• Mordaunt, rh Penny
• Morris, Anne Marie
• Morris, David
• Morris, James
• Mortimer, Jill
• Morton, rh Wendy
• Mullan, Dr Kieran
• Mumby-Croft, Holly
• Murrison, rh Dr Andrew
• Neill, Sir Robert
• Nici, Lia
• Nokes, rh Caroline
• Norman, rh Jesse
• O’Brien, Neil
• Offord, Dr Matthew
• Opperman, Guy
• Patel, rh Priti
• Pawsey, Mark
• Penning, rh Sir Mike
• Penrose, John
• Percy, Andrew
• Philp, rh Chris
• Poulter, Dr Dan
• Pow, Rebecca
• Pursglove, Tom
• Quin, rh Jeremy
• Quince, Will
• Randall, Tom
• Redwood, rh John
• Rees-Mogg, rh Sir Jacob
• Richards, Nicola
• Richardson, Angela
• Robertson, Mr Laurence
• Robinson, Mary
• Ross, Douglas
• Rowley, Lee
• Russell, Dean
• Saxby, Selaine
• Scully, Paul
• Seely, Bob
• Selous, Andrew
• Shapps, rh Grant
• Sharma, rh Sir Alok
• Simmonds, David
• Smith, rh Chloe
• Smith, Greg
• Smith, Henry
• Smith, rh Julian
• Spencer, Dr Ben
• Spencer, rh Mark
• Stafford, Alexander
• Stevenson, Jane
• Stewart, Iain
• Stuart, rh Graham
• Sturdy, Julian
• Sunderland, James
• Syms, Sir Robert
• Thomas, Derek
• Throup, Maggie
• Timpson, Edward
• Tomlinson, Justin
• Tomlinson, Michael
• Tracey, Craig
• Trevelyan, rh Anne-Marie
• Trott, Laura
• Tugendhat, rh Tom
• Vara, rh Shailesh
• Vickers, Martin
• Vickers, Matt
• Villiers, rh Theresa
• Walker, Sir Charles
• Walker, Mr Robin
• Warman, Matt
• Watling, Giles
• Webb, Suzanne
• Whately, Helen
• Wheeler, Mrs Heather
• Whittaker, rh Craig
• Whittingdale, rh Sir John
• Wiggin, Sir Bill
• Wild, James
• Williams, Craig
• Williamson, rh Sir Gavin
• Young, Jacob
• Zahawi, rh Nadhim

Democratic Unionist Party

• Campbell, Mr Gregory
• Robinson, Gavin
• Shannon, Jim
• Wilson, rh Sammy

Reclaim Party

• Bridgen, Andrew

MPs voting against the Bill

Alba

• MacAskill, Kenny

Alliance

• Farry, Stephen

Conservative

• Blunt, Crispin
• Wragg, Mr William

Green

• Lucas, Caroline

Independent

• Corbyn, rh Jeremy
• Edwards, Jonathan
• Webbe, Claudia

Labour

• Begum, Apsana
• Butler, Dawn
• Gardiner, Barry
• Lavery, Ian
• McDonald, Andy
• McDonnell, rh John
• Mearns, Ian
• Morris, Grahame
• Whitley, Mick
• Winter, Beth

Liberal Democrats

• Chamberlain, Wendy
• Cooper, Daisy
• Farron, Tim
• Foord, Richard
• Green, Sarah
• Hobhouse, Wera
• Moran, Layla
• Morgan, Helen
• Olney, Sarah
• Wilson, Munira

Plaid Cymru

• Lake, Ben
• Saville Roberts, rh Liz
• Williams, Hywel

SNP

• Bardell, Hannah
• Black, Mhairi
• Blackford, rh Ian
• Blackman, Kirsty
• Bonnar, Steven
• Brown, Alan
• Callaghan, Amy (Proxy vote cast by Brendan O’Hara)
• Cameron, Dr Lisa
• Chapman, Douglas
• Cherry, Joanna
• Cowan, Ronnie
• Day, Martyn
• Docherty-Hughes, Martin
• Doogan, Dave
• Dorans, Allan (Proxy vote cast by Brendan O’Hara)
• Flynn, Stephen
• Gibson, Patricia
• Grady, Patrick
• Hendry, Drew
• Hosie, rh Stewart
• Law, Chris
• Linden, David
• Mc Nally, John
• McDonald, Stewart Malcolm
• McLaughlin, Anne (Proxy vote cast by Brendan O’Hara)
• Monaghan, Carol
• Newlands, Gavin
• Nicolson, John (Proxy vote cast by Brendan O’Hara)
• O’Hara, Brendan
• Oswald, Kirsten
• Qaisar, Ms Anum
• Sheppard, Tommy
• Stephens, Chris
• Thomson, Richard
• Whitford, Dr Philippa
• Wishart, Pete

SDLP

• Eastwood, Colum
• Hanna, Claire

Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward

Image credit: Diliff – Creative Commons

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