Accounting for the Voting Patterns of British MPs on Free Votes

Abstract

British political parties are usually capable of dictating the voting behavior of their members in the House of Commons, but there are instances in which the parties choose to grant MPs freedom to vote as they wish. These occur on private members' bills and frequently involve extremely emotional, important issues. Using multiple regression analysis, we examine voting on selected free votes since 1966. The results suggest that while partisan forces are potent even on free votes, they are by no means the only forces operating. Personal characteristics of the MPs-such as religion, age, education, and the like-also influence voting decisions. Moreover, at times it is even possible to observe characteristics of the constituencies (religion, region, and marginality) affecting voting decisions. We conclude by discussing what these findings mean for views of decision making in the House of Commons.

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