Party lines are blown apart in referendum vote: Labour, Tories and Liberal Democrats all split over call for treaty plebiscite

THE COMMONS Committee Stage scrutiny of the Maastricht treaty legislation concluded yesterday with a display of the massed divisions in Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat ranks over calls to give voters a referendum on the issue.

In a vote called at 2.05am, a Labour backbench amendment to the European Communities (Amendment) Bill, which would have stalled treaty ratification until after a referendum had been held, was roundly defeated by 363 votes to 124.

The 239-strong majority was reinforced by the united cross- party opposition of John Major and the Government, John Smith and the official Opposition, and five Liberal Democrats, including former leader Sir David Steel.

But the supporters included 38 Tories, 63 Labour, 14 out of the 20 Liberal Democrats, including Paddy Ashdown, and nine minority party MPs.

Those voting for the referendum were:

CONSERVATIVES: Rupert Allason (Torbay), Vivian Bendall (Ilford N), Sir Nicholas Bonsor (Upminster), Sir Rhodes Boyson (Brent N), Nicholas Budgen (Wolverhampton SW), John Carlisle (Luton N), Michael Carttiss (Great Yarmouth), William Cash (Stafford), James Cran (Beverley), Nirj Deva (Brentford and Isleworth), Iain Duncan-Smith (Chingford), Bob Dunn (Dartford), Peter Fry (Wellingborough), Sir George Gardiner (Reigate), Christopher Gill (Ludlow), Teresa Gorman (Billericay), Harry Greenway (Ealing N), Bernard Jenkin (Colchester N), Toby Jessel (Twickenham).

Roger Knapman (Stroud), Sir Ivan Lawrence (Burton), Barry Legg (Milton Keynes SW), Michael Lord (Suffolk Central), Tony Marlow (Northampton N), Sir Roger Moate (Faversham), James Pawsey (Rugby and Kenilworth), Richard Shepherd (Aldridge- Brownhills), Sir Trevor Skeet (Bedfordshire N), Michael Spicer (Worcestershire S), Walter Sweeney (Vale of Glamorgan), Sir Peter Tapsell (Lindsey E), Sir Teddy Taylor (Southend E), John Townend (Bridlington), Bill Walker (Tayside N), John Whittingdale (Colchester S and Maldon), John Wilkinson (Ruislip Northwood), Ann Winterton (Congleton), Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield).

LABOUR: Diane Abbott (Hackney N and Stoke Newington), Irene Adams (Paisley N), Harry Barnes (Derbyshire NE), Tony Benn (Chesterfield), Andrew Bennett (Denton and Reddish), Gerald Bermingham (St Helens S), Jim Callaghan (Heywood and Middleton), Anne Campbell (Cambridge), Dennis Canavan (Falkirk W), Jamie Cann (Ipswich), Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Leith), Eric Clarke (Midlothian), Harry Cohen (Leyton), Michael Connarty (Falkirk E), Jeremy Corbyn (Islington N), Jean Corston (Bristol E), Ian Davidson (Glasgow Govan), Denzil Davies (Llanelli), Terry Davis (Birmingham Hodge Hill), Brian Donohoe (Cunninghame S), Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe and Nantwich).

Frank Field (Birkenhead), George Galloway (Glasgow Hillhead), Bryan Gould (Dagenham), Thomas Graham (Renfrew W and Inverclyde), Bernie Grant (Tottenham), Mike Hall (Warrington S), Jimmy Hood (Clydesdale), George Howarth (Knowsley N), Lynne Jones (Birmingham Selly Oak). Jane Kennedy (Liverpool Broadgreen), Ron Leighton (Newham NE), Terry Lewis (Worsley), Ken Livingstone (Brent E), Eddie Loyden (Liverpool Garston), John McAllion (Dundee E), William McKelvey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun), John McWilliam (Blaydon), Max Madden (Bradford W), Alice Mahon (Halifax), Dr John Marek (Wrexham), Bill Michie (Sheffield Heeley), Chris Mullin (Sunderland S), Colin Pickthall (Lancashire W), Gordon Prentice (Pendle), Terry Rooney (Bradford N), Ted Rowlands (Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney).

Peter Shore (Bethnal Green and Stepney), Alan Simpson (Nottingham S), Dennis Skinner (Bolsover), Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent), Nigel Spearing (Newham S), Gerry Steinberg (Durham City), George Stevenson (Stoke S), Sir Harold Walker (Doncaster Cent), Bob Wareing (Liverpool West Derby), Mike Watson (Glasgow Central), Alan Williams (Swansea W), David Winnick (Walsall N), Audrey Wise (Preston), Jimmy Wray (Glasgow Provan), Tony Wright (Cannock and Burntwood), and David Young (Bolton SE).

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: David Alton (Liverpool Mossley Hill), Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil), Alan Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed), Menzies Campbell (Fife NE), Don Foster (Bath), Nick Harvey (Devon N), Simon Hughes (Southwark and Bermondsey), Nigel Jones (Cheltenham). Charles Kennedy (Ross, Cromarty and Skye), Liz Lynne (Rochdale), Ray Michie (Argyll and Bute), Matthew Taylor (Truro), Paul Tyler (Cornwall N), James Wallace (Orkney and Shetland).

OTHERS: Roy Beggs (UUP Antrim E), Margaret Ewing (SNP Moray), James Molyneaux (UUP Lagan Valley), Peter Robinson (DUP Belfast E), William Ross (UUP Londonderry E), Alex Salmond (SNP Banff and Buchan), The Rev Martin Smyth (UUP Belfast S), John D Taylor (UUP Strangford), Andrew Welsh (SNP Angus E).

The tellers for the 'Ayes' were Labour MPs Bob Cryer (Bradford S) and Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby).

While most of the Liberal Democrats joined Mr Ashdown in backing a referendum, five voted against. They were:

Alex Carlile (Montgomery), Sir Russell Johnston (Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber), Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire), Robert Maclennan (Caithness and Sutherland), and Sir David Steel (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale). Malcolm Bruce (Gordon) was away from Westminster.

Although it is particularly difficult to identify abstensions, there were another nine Conservative MPs with a track record of revolt on Maastricht who did not vote. They were:

Kenneth Baker (Mole Valley), John Biffen (Shropshire N), John Butcher (Coventry SW), Michael Clark (Rochford), Warren Hawksley (Halesowen and Stourbridge), Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke), David Porter (Waveney) and Sir Gerard Vaughan (Reading E).

No member of Labour's front bench team defied the party's official three-line whip to vote for the referendum - which could have been a disciplinary offence - but there were 12 junior frontbenchers who did not vote, along with four members of the Shadow Cabinet - David Blunkett, Robin Cook, Frank Dobson, and Michael Meacher.