A complete breakdown of how MPs voted on the historic Brexit bill

The vast majority of MPs voted in favour of Theresa May triggering Article 50.Parliament TV

LONDON — MPs took part in a landmark vote on Wednesday evening, when an overwhelming majority voted in favour of Theresa May triggering Article 50.

Parliament voted by 498 to 114 to progress the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill, which if ultimately passed, will give the prime minister the authority to initiate Britain’s formal exit from the EU.

The bill will pass to a committee of the whole House of Commons next week, when MPs will attempt to amend it.

MPs hope to add further clauses to the bill that would shape May’s negotiating strategy on matters including the single market and protections for workers’ rights.

Last night’s vote was unique not just because the repercussions are huge but because usual parliamentary behaviour pretty much went out of the window. Large numbers of MPs sidelined deeply held personal views, others defied their leaders, while some chose to vote in the opposite way to their constituency.

Here is a comprehensive breakdown of how MPs voted in Wednesday night’s momentous debate, based on data produced by academic Chris Hanretty.

Constituency

220 of the MPs who voted on Friday evening represent constituencies which voted Remain in last year’s referendum. 103 of these MPs (48%) chose to support the bill giving May the authority to initiate Brexit. This list includes high-profile figures from both the Tories and Labour, including Education Secretary Justine Greening, Business Secretary Greg Clark, and former Labour leader Ed Miliband.

Of the 382 MPs voting representing a constituency which voted Leave in June, nearly all 373 (98%) voted in favour of the Brexit Bill. However, there were nine MPs who defied their pro-Leave constituencies and voted to block Article 50. These are as follows:

• Tom Brake — Liberal Democrats
• Eilidh Whiteford — SNP
• Graham Allen — Labour
• Chris Bryant — Labour
• Ann Clwyd — Labour
• Mary Creagh — Labour
• Paul Farrelly — Labour
• Catherine McKinnell — Labour
• Alan Whitehead — Labour

Party

Last night’s vote was a difficult one for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. 47 of his own MPs defied the three-line-whip imposed on them to vote in favour of the Brexit bill, including three of his own whips — Jeff Smith, Thangam Debbonaire and Vicky Foxcroft — whose job is to make sure MPs vote the way the leader wants them to. Over 20% of Labour MPs defied Corbyn’s will, exposing just how divided the party is over the issue of Brexit.

All but one Tory MP voted in favour of the Brexit bill. The sole rebel was veteran Europhile Ken Clarke, who on Tuesday delivered a memorable pro-EU speech to the House. You can watch his speech in full here.

Ken Clarke MP addresses the House on Wednesday.Sky News

Their previous position

Every single MP who declared support for the Leave campaign in the run-up the June 23 referendum voted in favour of the bill last night.

Of the 443 MPs who had previously declared support for Remain, nearly three quarters (74%) voted in favour of the bill allowing May to take Britain out of the 28-nation bloc. This means that a total of 328 MPs sidelined their own personal views in order to respect the will of the British public.

Abstentions

24 MPs either abstained or were unable to vote on the Bill. Reports that shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott had abstained were denied by Labour last night, after they insisted she had fallen ill. However, it later turned out that she had just hours earlier taken part in a debate in Westminster Hall and later deleted a tweet that she sent out shortly before the vote.

Conservatives

• Jake Berry
• Nick Boles
• Roger Gale
• Alan Haselhurst
• Karen Lumley
• Mike Wood

Labour

• Diane Abbott
• Roberta Blackman-Woods
• Geraint Davies
• Pat Glass
• Roger Godsiff
• Kate Green
• Margaret Hodge
• George Howarth
• Gerald Kaufman
• Christopher Leslie
• Ian Mearns
• Gavin Shuker
• Angela Smith

Liberal Democrat

• Norman Lamb
• Greg Mulholland

Plaid Cymru

• Jonathan Edwards

SNP

• Callum McCaig
• Corri Wilson