Following this morning’s story revealing Labour whip Alan Campbell loudly voted “NO!” by acclamation and then yes by division in last night’s provocative opposition day motions, Ipswich MP Tom Hunt has raised the matter with the Speaker’s office. It is against Parliamentary rules to shout one way and vote the other. As Hunt says in his letter, “This conduct is disorderly and I think it should be addressed.”…

Hunt references paragraph 20.61 of Erskine May, which notes of MPs that “if their voices and their votes should be at variance, the voice will bind the vote.” Alan Campbell’s voice can clearly be heard in the acclamation vote, and Guido has corroborated the fact that he did shout “NO” with multiple witnesses. By the rules of the House, Campbell’s vote should be changed from Aye to No…

While the non-political public will find this procedural wrangling a dull process story, it should result in a Labour Whip being the only recorded vote against. Which will be a funny backfiring of the stunt.

Read the letter in full below:

Dear Sir Lindsay,

I am writing to you about the disorderly conduct of some labour whips in the house yesterday, particularly that of Alan Campbell.

Gill Furniss, John Spellar, and Alan Campbell all voted ‘no’ by acclamation in order to force a division. While Gill Furniss and Johns Spellar did not then vote, Alan Campbell did vote Aye (and is recorded as such).

Erskine May makes very clear on the rules on ‘voice and vote’ in Paragraph 20.61 that MPs cannot shout one way and vote another and that ‘if their voices and their votes should be at variance, the voice will bind the vote’.

This conduct is disorderly and I think it should be addressed.

Sincerely,
Tom