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156-517: At the end of the second day, there was a division of the House for the members to hold a no confidence motion . The vote was won by the government but by a drastically reduced majority. That led on 10 May to Chamberlain resigning as prime minister and the replacement of his war ministry by a broadly based coalition government , which, under Winston Churchill , governed the United Kingdom until after

312-520: A division bell is rung throughout the building when a division is happening, in order to alert members not present in the chamber. In the United Kingdom, division bells are also present in a number of bars and restaurants near the Palace of Westminster in order to call members to vote who may be outside the building. In the Australian House of Representatives divisions follow a form similar to that of

468-511: A personal vote . A party vote is the most common method, and occurs for non-conscience issues and some conscience issues. In this method, the Clerk of the House reads out each party's name in order of the number of seats each party has, starting with the largest party, followed by any independent members and any members wishing to cross the floor . A member of the party (usually a whip) will respond to their party's name by stating how many members of

624-564: A "glum and anxious front bench". Amery said: Somehow or other we must get into the Government men who can match our enemies in fighting spirit, in daring, in resolution and in thirst for victory. Some 300 years ago , when this House found that its troops were being beaten again and again by the dash and daring of the Cavaliers, by Prince Rupert 's Cavalry, Oliver Cromwell spoke to John Hampden . In one of his speeches he recounted what he said. It

780-651: A National Liberal subject to the National Government whip but, in protest against Chamberlain, he had resigned it in December 1939 and crossed the floor of the House to rejoin the Liberals in opposition. Like many other members, Davies had gone to eat when Jones began speaking but, on hearing that Amery had been called, he rushed back to the chamber. Seeing that it was nearly empty, Davies approached Amery and urged him to deliver his full speech both to state his full case against

936-461: A disqualification, the matter must be immediate and personal and not a general or remote matter. Eight minutes after the question has been put for the first time, the Speaker declares, "Lock the doors!" The lobby entrances are locked, and only those within the lobbies may continue to vote. After all members have voted in the lobbies, the vote totals are written on a card and the numbers are read out to

1092-414: A division lobby. However, MPs have often found that a division is the best way to interact with senior members of the government. There are two variations to the normal practice of an MP voting by walking through the respective lobby. There have been cases where Members of Parliament are wheeled from far afield to vote for their party in a crucial vote. For members who are too ill to reach the lobby, there

1248-581: A division. However, they may be counted by order of the chairman or by order of the assembly through majority vote . The assembly may also have a rule that the division is counted. Unlike the British Parliament, in Congress, lobbies are not used, and the division is not a final determination of the question. The vote is first taken by voice vote, as is the case in Parliament. Then, any member may demand

1404-575: A division. Secret-ballot single transferable vote elections were used in the 1920s, for the Dáil's 30 nominees to the 1922 Seanad , and for the Dáil and Seanad's separate slates of candidates in the 1925 Seanad election . Ballots were distributed and submitted in the assembly chamber, then removed for counting; Dáil results were announced by the Ceann Comhairle in the chamber, whereas the Seanad adjourned for

1560-574: A division. If a division is demanded, then the Speaker of the House of Representatives (or, more commonly, a Representative of the majority party designated by the Speaker to preside as Speaker pro tempore) or the Presiding Officer of the Senate asks those voting Yea to rise and remain standing until counted, and then asks those voting Nay to do the same. A division is the least common method of voting in

1716-511: A group of German ships a considerable distance west-northwest of Trondheim, bearing west. This reinforced the notion that the Germans were indeed intending a breakout, and the Home Fleet changed direction from northeast to northwest to again try to intercept. Additionally, Churchill cancelled Plan R 4 and ordered the four cruisers carrying the soldiers and their supplies to disembark their cargo and join

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1872-419: A month, have been given time to pour in reinforcements by sea and air, to land tanks, heavy artillery and mechanised transport, and have been given time to develop the air offensive which has had such a devastating effect on the morale of Whitehall. If they had been more courageously and offensively employed they might have done much to prevent these unhappy happenings and much to influence unfriendly neutrals. As

2028-576: A new plan, named Weserübung , be developed. Work on Weserübung began on 5 February. The Altmark incident occurred in the late hours of 16 February 1940 when the Royal Navy destroyer HMS  Cossack entered Norwegian territorial waters, intercepting and boarding the German auxiliary ship Altmark in the Jøssingfjord . Altmark had spent the prior months as a fleet oiler turned prison ship for

2184-449: A non-electronic repeat of an electronic vote. A summer 2016 upgrade to the electronic voting system allowed a change to standing orders such that TDs may have an abstention from voting ( Staon ) formally recorded; for other purposes this is treated the same as not voting. Since 2016, the Ceann Comhairle has been elected in a secret ballot by alternative vote (ranked ballot), with the winner's ensuing nomination uncontested without

2340-609: A policy of appeasement , such as the Munich Agreement , but this was abandoned after Germany abandoned diplomatic means and became more overtly expansionist with the occupation of Czechoslovakia in March 1939. One of the strongest critics of both appeasement and German aggression was Conservative backbencher Winston Churchill who, although he was one of the country's most prominent political figures, had last held government office in 1929. After Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939,

2496-619: A potential Soviet attack, positioned mostly in the eastern regions of Finnmark. Parts of the 6th Division's forces remained in Finnmark even after the German invasion, guarding against the danger. During the Winter War, the Norwegian authorities secretly broke the country's own neutrality by sending the Finns a shipment of 12 Ehrhardt 7.5 cm Model 1901 artillery pieces and 12,000 shells, as well as allowing

2652-512: A procedure similar to that of the House of Representatives is followed. The voice vote is taken, and, if two Senators object, a division is held. Senators take seats in the right or left of the Chamber as in the House, and the President of the Senate appoints one teller for each side to record the votes. The President may vote by stating to the Senate the side on which he intends to vote. If the result of

2808-536: A schedule for next week's Commons business. Chamberlain announced that a debate on the general conduct of the war would commence on Tuesday, 7 May. The debate was keenly anticipated in both Parliament and the country. In his diary entry for Monday, 6 May, Chamberlain's Assistant Private Secretary John Colville wrote that all interest centred on the debate. Obviously, he thought, the government would win through but after facing some very awkward points about Norway. Some of Colville's colleagues including Lord Dunglass , who

2964-415: A series of diplomatic defeats and humiliations, culminating in the outbreak of European war. It is an unbroken record of failure in foreign policy, and there has been no outstanding success at home to offset the lack of it abroad. ... Yet it is probable that Neville Chamberlain still retains the confidence of the majority of his fellow country-men and that, if it were possible to obtain an accurate test of

3120-458: A tie arises; in that case, he (or she) verbally announces his (or her) vote, which is cast in accordance with Speaker Denison's rule . Members may signify, but not record, an abstention by remaining in their seats during the division. Though the practice is traditionally frowned upon, MPs can also pass through both lobbies, effectively registering their abstention. It is stipulated that all Members of Parliament are required to stay in or around

3276-487: A vote), was of greater consequence than all his criticisms because, Amery believed, it made it much easier for Conservative members to be influenced by the debate's opening day. Sir Archibald Sinclair, the leader of the Liberals, then spoke. He too was critical and began by comparing military and naval staff efficiency, which he considered proven, with political inefficiency: It is my contention that this breakdown in organisation occurred because there had been no foresight in

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3432-471: Is "too late". The Prime Minister talked about missing buses. What about all the buses which he and his associates have missed since 1931? They missed all the peace buses but caught the war bus. Attlee's closing words were a direct attack on all Conservative members, blaming them for shoring up ministers whom they knew to be failures: They have allowed their loyalty to the Chief Whip to overcome their loyalty to

3588-547: Is a method of taking a vote that physically counts members voting. Historically, and often still today, members are literally divided into physically separate groups. This was the method used in the Roman Senate (vote per secessionem ), and occasionally in Athenian democracy . Westminster system parliament chambers have separate division lobbies for the "Ayes" and "Noes" to facilitate physical division. In several assemblies,

3744-503: Is a procedure called 'nodding through' provided the tellers agree. The whips will ensure that the MP's name is added to the list of those voting. There are only two conditions. The MP must be within the precincts of the Palace of Westminster, and must be alive. Former MP Joe Ashton remembered a case from the final days of James Callaghan 's government: I remember the famous case of Leslie Spriggs ,

3900-702: Is typically used to take recorded votes, although occasionally roll calls take place; the House is historically too large to conduct roll calls on a regular basis (435 members versus 100 in the Senate). When voting to override a Presidential veto, the yeas and nays are required under Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution . Norwegian campaign Nazi Germany occupies Norway Asia-Pacific Mediterranean and Middle East Other campaigns Coups Finland Iceland Norway The Norwegian campaign (8 April  – 10 June 1940) involved

4056-601: The Tá (yes) or Níl (no) button on their desks. After the voting time has concluded a Division Paper recording the result and each TD's vote is signed by the four tellers and given to the Ceann Comhairle, who declares the result. Electronic voting was introduced in 2002. The traditional practice of voting by physically entering division lobbies is retained for some symbolically important votes: confidence motions and nominations of Ceann Comhairle, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) and cabinet ministers . A group of at least 20 TDs may demand

4212-495: The Kriegsmarine met at the first and second naval battles of Narvik on 10 and 13 April, and British forces conducted the Åndalsnes landings on 13 April. The main strategic reason for Germany to invade Norway was to seize the port of Narvik and guarantee the delivery of iron ore needed for German steel production . The campaign was fought until 10 June 1940 and saw the escape of King Haakon VII and Crown Prince Olav to

4368-525: The COVID-19 pandemic . The Division List, recording the way in which MPs voted, is automatically made available on the Parliament website soon after a division. In October 2022, then-Prime Minister Liz Truss was erroneously thought to have abstained from her own government's motion against a Labour motion to ban fracking as she had forgotten to swipe her voting card. MPs with a direct financial interest on any matter are prohibited from voting. In order to act as

4524-578: The Duden dictionary, the expression refers to the MPs grouping themselves like sheep behind their respective bellwethers before re-entering the chamber. The procedure was introduced in 1874 by a Reichstag vice president. In 1894 the architect of the new Reichstag building made a reference to the Hammelsprung : above the door for "yes", he depicted Ulysses and his friends escaping from Polyphemus . In Dáil Éireann ,

4680-663: The House of Lords , the Lord Speaker proposes the question and announces the result as in the Commons, but substitutes "Content" for "Aye" and "Not-content" for "No". A Lord may object to the Lord Speaker's determination. The Lord Speaker then announces a division by stating, "Clear the Bar!" The Bar of the House is then cleared. Tellers are appointed as in the Commons. Three minutes after the question

4836-509: The King . Amery began by criticising the government's planning and execution of the Norway campaign, especially their unpreparedness for it despite intelligence warning of likely German intervention and the clear possibility of some such response to the planned British infraction of Norwegian neutrality by the mining of Norwegian territorial waters. He gave an analogy from his own experience which illustrated

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4992-491: The United States Congress , divisions are used to give a more accurate estimate of a vote than a voice vote . Typically, a division is taken when the result of a voice vote is challenged or when a two-thirds vote is required. A division is also called a rising vote , where members stand up from their seats. According to Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR), the numbers for and against are not counted in

5148-612: The blockade of Germany , giving access to the Atlantic Ocean. These ports would allow Germany to use its sea power effectively against the Allies. Control of Norwegian air bases would allow German reconnaissance aircraft to operate far into the North Atlantic, while German U-boats and surface ships operating out of Norwegian naval bases would be able to break the British blockade line across

5304-470: The Allied losses as unimportant and claimed that British soldiers "man for man (were) superior to their foes". He praised the "splendid gallantry and dash" of the British forces but acknowledged they were "exposed ... to superior forces with superior equipment". Chamberlain then said he proposed "to present a picture of the situation" and to "consider certain criticisms of the government". He stated that "no doubt"

5460-583: The Allies would then proceed to occupy Narvik, Trondheim, Bergen, and Stavanger . The planners hoped that the operation would not provoke the Norwegians to resist the Allies with armed force. The Allies disagreed over the additional Operation Royal Marine , where mines would also be placed in the Rhine River . While the British supported this operation, the French vetoed it for three months since they also depended on

5616-868: The Allies, in particular the French, this was based on a desire to avoid repeating the trench warfare of the First World War , which had occurred on the Franco-German border . Following the outbreak of the Second World War, the Norwegian government had mobilized parts of the Norwegian Army and all but two of the Royal Norwegian Navy 's warships. The Norwegian Army Air Service and the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service were also called up to protect Norwegian neutrality from violations by

5772-456: The Ayes lobby for 18 years and Noes lobby for 20 years. In the House of Commons , the Speaker says "The Question is that...", states the question and next says "As many as there are of the opinion say Aye". Then, following shouts of "Aye", the Speaker says "Of the contrary, No" and similar shouts of "No" may follow. If one side clearly has more support, the Speaker then announces their opinion as to

5928-540: The British Home Fleet , was notified of this and set out to intercept them at 20:15. With both sides unaware of the magnitude of the situation, they proceeded as planned. Renown arrived at the Vestfjord late that night and maintained position near the entrance while the minelaying destroyers proceeded to their task. Meanwhile, the Germans launched the remainder of their invasion force. The first direct contact between

6084-646: The British Army. With these matters completed, the debate on the Norwegian campaign began with a routine adjournment motion (i.e., "that this house do now adjourn"). Under Westminster rules in debates like this, wide-ranging discussions of a variety of topics are allowed, and the motion is not usually put to a vote. At 15:48, Captain David Margesson, the Government Chief Whip , made the adjournment motion. The House proceeded to openly discuss "Conduct of

6240-637: The British to use Norwegian territory to transfer aircraft and other weaponry to Finland. This presented an opportunity to the Allies; offering them the potential to use the invasion to also send troop support to occupy ore fields in Sweden and ports in Norway. The plan, promoted by the British General Edmund Ironside , included two divisions landing at Narvik, five battalions somewhere in mid-Norway, and another two divisions at Trondheim. The French government pushed for action to be taken to confront

6396-479: The Chiefs of Staff. Attlee seized on this as an example of government incompetence, though without blaming Churchill, by saying: It is against all good rules of organisation that a man who is in charge of major strategy should also be in command of a particular unit. It is like having a man commanding an army in the field and also commanding a division . He has a divided interest between the wider questions of strategy and

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6552-558: The Dáil record but no division occurred. This process still is still used when holding the Thursday vote on a question, but the deferral of the vote until Thursday happens regardless of how few demand a vote. The Dáil and Seanad division bells are reproductions respectively of the Lough Lene Bell and the Bell of Armagh ; At a division, bells sound and bulbs light around Leinster House and

6708-616: The Exchequer , succeeded Stanley Baldwin as prime minister , leading a National Government overwhelmingly composed of Conservatives but supported by small National Labour and Liberal National parties. It was opposed by the Labour and Liberal parties. Since assuming power in Germany in 1933, the Nazi Party had pushed an irredentist foreign policy. Chamberlain initially attempted to avert war by

6864-597: The German Invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939, both declared war on Nazi Germany . However, neither country mounted significant offensive operations and for several months there were no major engagements, and this period became known as the Phoney War or "Twilight War". Winston Churchill in particular wished to escalate the war into a more active phase, in contrast to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain . During this time both sides wished to open secondary fronts. For

7020-700: The German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee while the latter was acting as a commerce raider in the South Atlantic. When she began the return journey to Germany, she carried 299 prisoners taken from Allied ships sunk by the Graf Spee . She rounded Scotland , then entered Norwegian territorial waters near the Trondheimsfjord , flying the Imperial Service Flag ( Reichsdienstflagge ). A Norwegian naval escort accompanied Altmark as she proceeded southwards, hugging

7176-540: The German high command that Norway and Sweden would then allow Allied troops to transit their territory to go to Finland's aid. The proposed Allied deployments never occurred, after protests from both Norway and Sweden, when the issue of transfers of troops through their territory was suggested. With the Moscow Peace Treaty on 12 March 1940, the Finland-related Allied plans were dropped. The abandonment of

7332-571: The German soldiers from the wreck were rescued by Norwegian fishing boats and the destroyer Odin . On interrogation the survivors disclosed that they were assigned to protect Bergen from the Allies. This information was passed on to Oslo, where the Norwegian Parliament ignored the sinking due to being distracted by the British mining operations off the Norwegian coast. At 14:00, the Admiralty received word that aerial reconnaissance had located

7488-504: The Germans away from France. These developments concerned the Germans. The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact had placed Finland within the Soviet sphere of interest , and the Germans therefore claimed neutrality in the conflict. This policy caused a rise in anti-German sentiment throughout Scandinavia, since it was commonly believed that the Germans were allied with the Soviets. Fears began to crop up in

7644-481: The House by one of the tellers of the winning side announcing as follows; "The Ayes to the right: (number of votes), The Noes to the left: (number of votes)". The Speaker then announces these numbers a second time, announcing the final result by saying "The Ayes/Noes have it, the Ayes/Noes have it". The Speaker then adds: "Unlock." Tellers are not included among the numbers announced to the Speaker. The Speaker only votes if

7800-461: The House listened in silence, Keyes finished by quoting Horatio Nelson : There are hundreds of young officers who are waiting eagerly to seize Warburton-Lee 's torch, or emulate the deeds of Vian of the " Cossack ". One hundred and forty years ago, Nelson said, "I am of the opinion that the boldest measures are the safest" and that still holds good to-day. It was 19:30 when Keyes sat down to "thunderous applause". Nicolson wrote that Keyes' speech

7956-471: The House of Commons is one which traditionally could go on well into the night, sometimes past midnight. However, in 2000 the House introduced, on an experimental basis, the procedure of "Deferred Divisions." Essentially, some divisions are delayed until the next Wednesday. The procedure is used for very few matters; most divisions still occur normally. There have been suggestions that electronic voting may be easier and quicker to do than physically going through

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8112-462: The House of Commons met on Thursday, 2 May, Labour leader Clement Attlee asked: "Is the Prime Minister now able to make a statement on the position in Norway?" Chamberlain was reluctant to discuss the military situation because of the security factors involved but did express a hope that he and Churchill would be able to say much more next week. He went on to make an interim statement of affairs but

8268-583: The Lord Speaker, not having the Commons Speaker's power to declare a division unnecessary, must eventually announce, "The Contents to the right by the Throne, the Not-contents to the left by the Bar". Lords then vote in the lobbies, as it is done in the Commons. Unlike the Speaker, the Lord Speaker may vote during a division; he does so from his seat rather than in a lobby. In the event that the votes are equal, then

8424-527: The North Sea and attack convoys heading to Great Britain. When the Soviet Union launched its attack against Finland on 30 November 1939, the Allies found themselves aligned with Norway and Sweden in support of Finland against the much larger aggressor. After the outbreak of the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union, Norway mobilized larger land forces than what had initially been considered necessary. By early 1940 their 6th Division in Finnmark and Troms fielded 9,500 troops to defend against

8580-426: The Norwegian coastline. As Altmark was nearing Bergen harbour on 14 February, the Norwegian naval authorities demanded an inspection of her cargo. International law did not ban the transfer of prisoners of war through neutral waters, and the German captain refused the inspection. This led the commander in Bergen, Admiral Carsten Tank-Nielsen , to deny Altmark access to the restricted-access harbour zone. Tank-Nielsen

8736-429: The Norwegian ports would be of crucial importance for Germany in a war with the United Kingdom. On 14 December 1939, Raeder introduced Adolf Hitler to Vidkun Quisling , a Nasjonal Samling former defence minister of Norway . Quisling proposed pan-Germanic cooperation between Nazi Germany and Norway. In a second meeting on 18 December, Quisling and Hitler discussed the threat of an Allied invasion of Norway. After

8892-406: The Norwegians had not put up the expected resistance to the Germans. Sinclair reported that the servicemen "paid a high tribute to the courage and determination with which the Norwegians fought alongside them. They paid a particular tribute to the Norwegian ski patrols. Norwegians at Lillehammer for seven days held up with rifles only a German force with tanks, armoured cars, bombing aeroplanes and all

9048-432: The Norwegians sent protests to Britain. While Norwegian, Swedish and American experts in international law claimed the boarding of Altmark was a violation of Norwegian neutrality, the British government argued that the incident was at the most a technical violation that had been morally justified. The whole led to the Germans speeding up their plans for an invasion of Norway. On 21 February, General Nikolaus von Falkenhorst

9204-410: The Norwegians. Churchill, as First Lord of the Admiralty, had direct responsibility for the conduct of naval operations in the Norwegian campaign . Before the German invasion, he had pressed the Cabinet to ignore Norway's neutrality, mine its territorial waters and be prepared to seize Narvik, in both cases to disrupt the export of Swedish iron ore to Germany during winter months, when the Baltic Sea

9360-423: The Opposition. He quoted some of Chamberlain's and Churchill's recent confident assertions about the likely victory of the British. Ministers' statements and, even more so, the press, guided (or deliberately left uncorrected) by the government, had painted far too optimistic a picture of the Norwegian campaign. Given the level of confidence created, the setback had generated widespread disappointment. Attlee now raised

9516-429: The Rhine and feared German air raids on their aircraft and munitions factories. Because of this delay, Operation Wilfred, originally scheduled for 5 April, was delayed until 8 April when the British agreed to undertake the Norwegian operations separately from those on the continent. Already in low-priority planning for months, Operation Weserübung found a new sense of urgency after the Altmark incident. The goals of

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9672-432: The Senate. A recorded vote must take place upon the demand of one-fifth of members present under Article I, Section 5 of the United States Constitution : "the Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the Desire of one fifth of those Present, be entered on the Journal." In the Senate, a recorded vote is accomplished by the clerk's call of the roll. In the House, an electronic voting device

9828-497: The Speaker and asked to be called next as the honour of the navy was at stake, though he had really come to the House with the intention of criticising the Chamberlain government. When Wedgwood sat down, the Speaker called Keyes, who began by denouncing Wedgwood's comment as "a damned insult". The House, especially David Lloyd George , "roared its applause". Keyes quickly moved on and became the debate's first Tory rebel. As Jenkins puts it, Keyes "turned his guns on Chamberlain" but with

9984-410: The Speaker calls off the division and declares the result for the side with the greater number of Members. If the division is still on, the tellers count and record the names of the Members. The Speaker announces the result, but does not vote unless there is an equality of votes. (If only one Member objects, his objection may be noted on the Hansard , but no vote is taken.) In the Australian Senate ,

10140-455: The Speaker's attention. Amery later remarked that there were "barely a dozen" members present (Nicolson was among them) as he began to speak. Nicolson, who expected a powerfully critical speech from Amery, wrote that the temperature continued to rise as Amery began and his speech soon "raised it far beyond the fever point". Amery had an ally in Clement Davies , chairman of the All Party Action Group which included some sixty MPs. Davies had been

10296-477: The Speaker. In the German Bundestag and some state parliaments the president can call for the so-called Hammelsprung (literally, wether’s leap ) if an undisputed majority couldn't be established by either MPs raising their hands or standing in order to cast their votes. In this voting procedure the MPs leave the plenary hall and re-enter through one of three doors designated for "yes“ ( ja ), " abstention " ( enthaltung ), or "no" ( nein ). According to

10452-441: The United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany two days later. Chamberlain thereupon created a war cabinet into which he invited Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty . It was at this point that a government supporter (possibly David Margesson , the Government Chief Whip) noted privately: For two-and-a-half years, Neville Chamberlain has been Prime Minister of Great Britain. During this period Great Britain has suffered

10608-473: The United Kingdom, but the requirements are generally more stringent. For instance, a Member in the Chamber when the tellers are appointed must vote, while a Member not then present may not. Furthermore, members must vote in accordance to their voice votes. The voice vote is held as in the British House of Commons. If more than one Member objects, then the division bells are rung throughout the Parliamentary estate. When not less than four minutes have elapsed since

10764-513: The United Kingdom. A British, French and Polish expeditionary force of 38,000 troops landed in the north. It had moderate success but made a rapid strategic retreat after the Battle of France began on 14 May. The Norwegian government then went into exile in London. The campaign ended with the occupation of the entirety of Norway by Germany but elements of the Norwegian military escaped and fought on overseas. Britain and France had signed military assistance treaties with Poland and two days after

10920-516: The War", specifically the progress of the Norwegian campaign, and Chamberlain rose to make his opening statement. Chamberlain began by reminding the House of his statement on Thursday, 2 May, five days earlier, when it was known that British forces had been withdrawn from Åndalsnes . He was now able to confirm that they had also been withdrawn from Namsos to complete the evacuation of Allied forces from central and southern Norway (the campaign in northern Norway continued). Chamberlain attempted to treat

11076-419: The action, Glowworm rammed Admiral Hipper . Significant damage was done to Admiral Hipper ' s starboard side, and Glowworm sank. During the fight Glowworm had broken radio silence and informed the Admiralty of her situation. She was not able to complete her transmission though, and all the Admiralty knew was that Glowworm had been confronted by a large German ship, shots were fired, and contact with

11232-429: The adjoining Oireachtas buildings, calling legislators to the chamber; with differing sounds and lights for Dáil and Seanad votes. The bells ring for between two and six minutes, and the doors to the chamber are locked after a further one to four minutes. The Ceann Comhairle then appoints two tellers for each side and deputies present are given one minute to vote. Voting is usually electronic, with deputies pressing either

11388-530: The attempt by Allied forces to defend northern Norway coupled with the resistance of the Norwegian military to the country's invasion by Nazi Germany in World War II . Planned as Operation Wilfred and Plan R 4 , while the German attack was feared but had not yet happened, the battlecruiser HMS  Renown set out from Scapa Flow for Vestfjorden with twelve destroyers on 4 April. The Royal Navy and

11544-409: The clandestine German troop transport ship Rio de Janeiro off the southern Norwegian port of Lillesand . Discovered among the wreckage were uniformed German soldiers and military supplies. Though Orzeł reported the incident to the Admiralty, they were too concerned by the situation with Glowworm and the presumed German breakout to give it much thought and did not pass the information on. Many of

11700-678: The danger to Germany of Britain seizing the initiative and launching its own invasion in Scandinavia, for if the powerful Royal Navy had bases at Bergen , Narvik and Trondheim , the North Sea would be virtually closed to Germany, and the Kriegsmarine would be at risk even in the Baltic. Controlling Norway would also be a strategic asset in the Battle of the Atlantic . The capture of ports would create gaps in

11856-425: The day and allowed its Cathaoirleach (chair) to announce the results to the press that evening. During the renomination of Taoiseach of Fianna Fáil 's Jack Lynch after the 1969 election , the division bell continued to ring after the doors had been locked, while several Fianna Fáil deputies entered the chamber through an unlocked door. In October 2019 several TDs admitted having, over previous months, pressed

12012-483: The destroyer could not be re-established. In response, the Admiralty ordered Renown and her single destroyer escort (the other two had gone to friendly ports for fuel), to abandon her post at the Vestfjord and head to Glowworm ' s last known location. At 10:45, the remaining eight destroyers of the minelaying force were ordered to join them as well. On the morning of 8 April, the Polish submarine ORP  Orzeł sank

12168-533: The division is an equality of votes, then the motion is in all cases disagreed to. The Victorian Legislative Assembly has adopted the party voting procedure for divisions identical to that used by the New Zealand Parliament for most divisions. The Victorian Legislative Council , as well as the Legislative Assembly for conscience issues, continues to use the standing vote procedure adopted by

12324-453: The division the Speaker puts the question to the House again. If it is clear that a division is still required, the Speaker announces the names of the tellers. In order to ensure impartiality, in each lobby there is one teller for the Ayes (i.e. a teller who intends to vote in favour) and one teller for the Noes (i.e. a teller who intends to vote against). If there are tellers for one side but not for

12480-643: The end of the war in Europe in May 1945. Chamberlain's government was criticised not only by the Opposition but also by respected members of his own Conservative Party . The Opposition forced the vote of no confidence, in which over a quarter of Conservative members voted with the Opposition or abstained , despite a three-line whip . There were calls for national unity to be established by formation of an all-party coalition but it

12636-537: The federal Parliament. The procedure used in the House of Commons of Canada is similar to that in the British House of Commons, with a few differences. The Speaker reads the question aloud, and then asks, "Is it the pleasure of the house to adopt the motion?" If anyone dissents, the Speaker then states "all those in favour of the motion will please say yea." After the cries of 'yea', the Speaker says "all those opposed will please say nay," and all members opposed to

12792-732: The feelings of the electorate, Chamberlain would be found the most popular statesman in the land. Once Germany had rapidly overrun Poland in September 1939, there was a sustained period of military inactivity for over six months dubbed the " Phoney War ". On 3 April 1940, Chamberlain said in an address to the Conservative National Union that Adolf Hitler , the German dictator, "had missed the bus". Only six days later, on 9 April, Germany launched an attack in overwhelming force on neutral and unprepared Norway after swiftly occupying Denmark. In response, Britain deployed military forces to assist

12948-400: The fighting, including 19,000 soldiers, mainly in six infantry divisions. The Norwegian Army had around 60,000 trained soldiers, with 3,750 troops per regiment. However, by the Germans' speed and surprise, only 52,000 ever saw combat. The Allied expeditionary force numbered around 38,000 men. The German invasion began on 3 April 1940, when covert supply vessels began to head out in advance of

13104-499: The first meeting with Quisling, Hitler ordered the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) to begin investigating possible invasion plans of Norway. Meeting Quisling was central in igniting Hitler's interest in bringing the country effectively under his control. The first comprehensive German plan for the occupation of Norway, Studie Nord , ordered by Hitler on 14 December, was completed by 10 January 1940. On 27 January, Hitler ordered that

13260-484: The first time because I wish to speak for some officers and men of the fighting, sea-going Navy who are very unhappy. I want to make it perfectly clear that it is not their fault that the German warships and transports which forced their way into Norwegian ports by treachery were not followed in and destroyed as they were at Narvik. It is not the fault of those for whom I speak that the enemy have been left in undisputable possession of vulnerable ports and aerodromes for nearly

13416-409: The fjord at 22:20 local time, the Norwegian vessels did not intervene when the British boarded Altmark in the late hours of 16 February. The boarding action led to the freeing of 299 British prisoners of war held on the German ship. The boarding party fought in hand-to-hand combat with the crew of Altmark , killing seven German sailors. Following this, the Germans sent strong protests to Norway, and

13572-513: The following principles apply, but are implemented by the Standing Orders of the House rather than by convention: The quorum for divisions is three Lords on a procedural vote and thirty Lords on a substantive one. The Northern Ireland Assembly maintains a lobby voting system based on that used in the UK House of Commons, this is in contrast to other devolved legislatures in the United Kingdom and

13728-427: The government and also to give Davies time to collect a large audience. Very soon, even though it was the dinner hour, the House began filling rapidly. Amery's speech is one of the most famous in parliamentary history. As Davies had requested, he played for time until the chamber was nearly full. For much of the speech, the most notable absentee was Chamberlain himself, who was at Buckingham Palace for an audience with

13884-463: The government's lack of initiative: I remember that many years ago in East Africa a young friend of mine went lion hunting. He secured a sleeping car on the railway and had it detached from the train at a siding near where he expected to find a certain man-eating lion. He went to rest and dream of hunting his lion in the morning. Unfortunately, the lion was out man-hunting that night. He clambered on to

14040-531: The government's whole conduct of the war to date. He moved towards his conclusion by calling for the formation of a "real" National Government in which the Trades Union Congress must be involved to "reinforce the strength of the national effort from inside". Although sources are somewhat divided on the point, there is a consensus among them that Chamberlain had arrived back in the chamber to hear Amery's conclusion. Nicolson recorded Chamberlain as sitting on

14196-442: The green light went around, and he said, "There, you've lost—it's 311." 'Pairing' is an arrangement between two opposing MPs where both agree not to participate in any divisions because their votes would cancel each other out anyway. Pairing agreements can last anything from days to the life of the Parliament. All pairings have to be registered with the party whips so that they know not to pursue their member for failing to vote. In

14352-508: The invasion were to secure the port of Narvik and the Leads for ore transport, and to control the country to prevent collaboration with the Allies. It was to be presented as an armed protection of Norway's neutrality. One subject debated by German strategists was the occupation of Denmark. Denmark was considered vital because its location facilitated greater air and naval control of the area. While some wanted to simply pressure Denmark to acquiesce, it

14508-464: The issue of government planning which would be revisited by several later speakers: It is said that in this war hitherto there has never been any initiative from our side, and it is said also that there is no real planning in anticipation of the possible strokes that will be taken against us. I think we must examine this affair from that aspect. Chamberlain had announced additional powers being granted to Churchill which amounted to him having direction of

14664-583: The lobbies on either side of the chamber to be cleared of non-members and Tellers appointed for both aye and noe. Members vote by entering the appropriate lobby on either side of the chamber, ayes to the Speaker's right, noes to the Speaker's left, with the result reported to the Speaker by the tellers and announced to the Assembly by the Speaker. As in the UK House of Commons, it is possible for members to vote in both lobbies, registering two votes that cancel each other out, in order to signify an active abstention In

14820-509: The longest distance to travel. Although the weather did make reconnaissance difficult, the two German groups were discovered 170 km (110 mi) south of the Naze (the southernmost part of Norway) slightly after 08:00 by Royal Air Force (RAF) patrols and reported as one cruiser and six destroyers. A trailing squad of bombers sent out to attack the German ships found them 125 km (78 mi) farther north than they had been before. No damage

14976-680: The lower house of the Oireachtas , a division is a formal count that can be called for if a voice vote is deemed insufficient. The procedure for voting and divisions is specified by standing orders 70–77. In Seanad Éireann , the upper house, a similar procedure is laid out by standing orders 56–63. In the Dáil the Ceann Comhairle (chair) puts the question and TDs (deputies) present say the Irish word tá (yes) or níl (no) respectively if they agree or disagree. The Ceann Comhairle then gives an opinion on

15132-593: The main force. The Allies initiated their plans on the following day, with 16 Allied submarines ordered to the Skagerrak and Kattegat to serve as a screen and give advance warning of a German response to Operation Wilfred, which was launched the following day when Admiral William Whitworth in HMS ; Renown set out from Scapa Flow for the Vestfjorden with twelve destroyers. On 7 April, bad weather began to develop in

15288-468: The new French prime minister, Paul Reynaud , took a more aggressive stance than his predecessor and wanted some form of action taken against Germany. Churchill was a strong agitator for action in Scandinavia because he wanted to cut Germany off from Sweden and push the Scandinavian countries to side with the United Kingdom. This initially involved a 1939 plan to penetrate the Baltic with a naval force. This

15444-632: The nights, which provided vital cover for the naval forces, were shortening as spring approached, it therefore had to be sooner. Eventually, on 2 April, the Germans set 9 April as the day of the invasion ( Wesertag ), and 04:15 (Norwegian time) as the hour of the landings ( Weserzeit ). In Norway, the German plan called for the capture of six primary targets by amphibious landings: Oslo , Kristiansand , Egersund , Bergen, Trondheim and Narvik. Additionally, supporting Fallschirmjäger (paratroops) were to capture other key locations, such as airfields at Fornebu outside Oslo and Sola outside Stavanger. The plan

15600-662: The north, and heavy fighters of the Luftwaffe would destroy the Danish aircraft on the ground. While there were also several naval task groups organized for this invasion, none of them had any large ships. Unescorted troopships would transport soldiers to capture the Danish High Command in Copenhagen . The following German naval forces used to invade Denmark were as organized: The Germans hoped they could avoid armed confrontation with

15756-425: The on-licence age at 18) as they passed back into the main debating chamber. The votes were tallied and handed back to the Speaker, who declared the results as 50 votes for 18 years, 38 votes for 20 years, and 33 votes for an 18/20 split. As no option acquired the 61-vote majority needed, the option with the lowest number of votes (18/20 split) was dropped, and the members voted again as per a normal personal vote, using

15912-616: The other end of the Mediterranean to keep itself safe from bombing. Moments later, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes , the Conservative Member for Portsmouth North , arrived in the chamber and caused a stir because he was resplendent in his uniform with gold braid and six rows of medal ribbons. He squeezed into a bench just behind Nicolson who passed him a piece of paper with Wedgwood's remark scribbled on it. Keyes went to

16068-453: The other, the question is decided in favour of the side for which there are tellers (for instance, if there are no tellers for the Noes, the Aye side automatically wins the division, and vice versa). MPs have to walk through one of the two division lobbies on either side of the House, tapping their pass against one of several readers installed in the lobbies, in order to vote. They are then counted by

16224-657: The paraphernalia of modern war". He concluded his speech by calling for Parliament to "speak out (and say) we must have done with half-measures (to promote) a policy for the more vigorous conduct of the war". The rest of the first day's debate saw speeches both supporting and criticising the Chamberlain government. Sinclair was followed by two ex-soldiers, Brigadier Henry Page Croft for the Conservatives and Colonel Josiah Wedgwood for Labour. Derided by Labour, Croft made an unconvincing case in support of Chamberlain and described

16380-423: The party and how they voted. A personal vote is used mainly for conscience issues, and follows similar procedures to other Westminster systems. In the event of a personal vote, the division bells are rung for seven minutes, and after the bells stops, members are instructed to move to one of two lobbies, "Ayes" or "Noes", to have their vote recorded as such. Once all the votes are tallied, the results are handed to

16536-411: The party are in favour or opposed. The Clerk tallies up the votes and gives the results to the Speaker, who declares the result. A split party vote is a variation of the party vote, used for some conscience issues. The main difference is voting members state how many members of their party are in favour and how many members are opposed, and once the voting is completed, must table a list of the members of

16692-731: The phrase throughout Chamberlain's speech and he reacted with what has been described as "a rather feminine gesture of irritation". He was eventually forced to defend the original usage of the phrase directly, claiming that he would have expected a German attack on the Allies at the outbreak of war when the difference in armed power was at its greatest. Chamberlain's speech has been widely criticised. Roy Jenkins called it "a tired, defensive speech which impressed nobody". Liberal MP Henry Morris-Jones said Chamberlain looked "a shattered man" and spoke without his customary self-assurance. When Chamberlain insisted that "the balance of advantage lay on our side", Liberal MP Dingle Foot could not believe what he

16848-519: The planned landings put immense French pressure on Neville Chamberlain's British government, and eventually led to the Allies laying mines off the Norwegian coast on 8 April. The German high command originally thought that having Norway remain neutral was in its interest. As long as the Allies did not enter Norwegian waters, there would be safe passage for merchant vessels transporting ore via Norwegian coastal waters to Germany. Großadmiral Erich Raeder, however, argued for an invasion. He believed that

17004-646: The political direction of the war and in the instructions given to the Staffs to prepare for these very difficult operations in due time, and that the Staffs were hastily improvising instead of working to long and carefully-matured plans. He drew from Chamberlain the admission that whilst troops had been held in readiness to be sent to Norway, no troopships had been retained to send them in. Sinclair gave instances of inadequate and defective equipment and of disorganisation reported to him by servicemen returning from Norway. Chamberlain had suggested that Allied plans had failed because

17160-400: The premises of the House of Commons until the main business of the day has ended, however long that may be. In the unlikely event that fewer than forty members participate in the division (including the speaker and the tellers), the division is declared 'inquorate', the question at hand is postponed until the next sitting, and the House proceeds to the next business. The nature of divisions in

17316-531: The present situation. This is what Cromwell said to the Long Parliament when he thought it was no longer fit to conduct the affairs of the nation: "You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go". Division of the House In parliamentary procedure , a division of the assembly , division of the house , or simply division

17472-429: The press as "the biggest dictator of all". Wedgwood denounced Croft for his "facile optimism, that saps the morale of the whole country". Wedgwood warned of the dangers inherent in trying to negotiate with Hitler and urged prosecution of the war by "a government which can take this war seriously". Attending the debate was National Labour MP Harold Nicolson who was arguably the pre-eminent diarist of British politics in

17628-523: The problems affecting his own immediate command. The First Lord of the Admiralty has great abilities, but it is not fair to him that he should be put into an impossible position like that. Attlee struck a theme here that would recur throughout the debate – that the government was incompetent but not Churchill himself, even though he was part of it, as he had suffered from what Jenkins calls a misdirection of his talents. Jenkins remarks that Churchill's potential had not been fully utilised and, most importantly, he

17784-570: The proviso that he was longing to see "proper use made of Churchill's great abilities". Keyes was a hero of the First World War representing a naval town and an Admiral of the Fleet (though no longer on the active list ). He spoke mostly on the conduct of naval operations, particularly the abortive operations to retake Trondheim . Keyes told the House: I came to the House of Commons to-day in uniform for

17940-423: The public. Division bells notify any members not currently in the chamber that a vote is about to start. A recent development has been the use of pagers and mobile phones by party whips , to summon members from further afield. At the beginning of a division, two MPs who intend to vote in favour and two MPs who intend to vote against communicate to the Speaker their intentions to act as tellers. Two minutes into

18096-507: The question cry out 'nay' all at once. The Speaker then announces his opinion of the outcome of the vote. If five or more MPs challenge the Speaker's opinion, a formal division follows. A formal division is invoked by the Speaker asking to "call in the members." Bells are rung throughout the Parliament Buildings for either 15 or 30 minutes to allow all present MPs time to enter the chamber and take their seats. The division begins with

18252-411: The question was first put, the Speaker orders that the doors to the Chamber be locked, and directs that the Ayes proceed to the right side of the Chamber, and that the Noes proceed to the left. Members then take seats on the appropriate side of the Chamber, rather than entering a lobby, and then the Speaker appoints tellers for each side, unless fewer than five Members are seated on one side, in which case

18408-410: The real needs of the country. I say that the House of Commons must take its full responsibility. I say that there is a widespread feeling in this country, not that we shall lose the war, that we will win the war, but that to win the war, we want different people at the helm from those who have led us into it. Leo Amery said later that Attlee's restraint, in not calling for a division of the House (i.e.,

18564-400: The rear of the car, scrabbled open the sliding door, and ate my friend. That is in brief the story of our initiative over Norway. As tension increased in the House and Amery found himself speaking to a "crescendo of applause", Edward Spears thought he was hurling huge stones at the government glasshouse with "the effect of a series of deafening explosions". Amery widened his scope to criticise

18720-423: The region, blanketing the area with thick fog and causing rough seas, making travel difficult. Renown ' s force was soon caught in a heavy snowstorm, and HMS  Glowworm , one of the destroyer escorts, had to drop out of formation to search for a man swept overboard. The weather aided the Germans, providing a screen for their forces, and in the early morning they sent out Gruppe 1 and Gruppe 2 , which had

18876-618: The residents of both countries, and their troops were instructed to fire only if fired upon. The German forces used in the campaign were some 120,000 troops in seven divisions and one Fallschirmjäger battalion, as well as panzer and artillery units. Most of the Kriegsmarine 's major units were also earmarked for the campaign. The Luftwaffe's 10th Air Corps deployed against Norway consisted of 1,000 aircraft, including 500 transport planes and 186 Heinkel He 111 bombers. The Norwegian Armed Forces fielded around 55,000 combatants involved in

19032-420: The ruling on the voice vote stands, or proceed to a division. The practice of voting by division seems to derive from the layout of St Stephen's Chapel , the meeting place of the House of Commons before the fire of 1834 . The chapel had an anteroom, and by 1584 votes were regularly held by having MPs from one side depart the chamber for this anteroom, while the other side would remain in the chamber. By 1690, it

19188-403: The speaker who declares the result. An unusual division occurred on 30 August 2012, simulating an exhaustive ballot for a three-way conscience vote on New Zealand's legal drinking age . All members were directed to the Noes lobby, where the Clerk of the House recorded each member's vote (either for keeping the age at 18, raising the age to 20, or raising the off-licence age to 20 while keeping

19344-459: The strength of Nazi forces. Following protracted negotiations between 25 September and 20 November 1939, the Norwegians agreed to charter 150 tankers , as well as other ships with a tonnage of 450,000 gross tons. The Norwegian government's concern for the country's supply lines played an important role in persuading them to accept the agreement. Norway, although neutral, was considered strategically important for both sides for several reasons. First

19500-406: The then Member for St. Helens . We had a tied vote and he was brought to the House in an ambulance having suffered a severe heart attack. The two Whips went out to look in the ambulance and there was Leslie Spriggs laid there as though he was dead. I believe that John Stradling Thomas said to Joe Harper , "How do we know that he is alive?" So he leaned forward, turned the knob on the heart machine,

19656-601: The tradition. In this case it was a division that took place on 27 February 1771 when a non-MP (known as a 'stranger'), Thomas Hunt, was included in the 'Noes' vote. It subsequently transpired that he had voted several times previously. The division bell then sounds across the Parliamentary Estate as well as several buildings in the vicinity, such as restaurants and pubs. (For a full list see external bells .) The lobbies are cleared of strangers , these days primarily journalists, but historically could have been members of

19812-549: The twentieth century. He took special notice of a comment made by Wedgwood which, in Nicolson's view, transformed "an ordinary debate (into) a tremendous conflict of wills". Wedgwood had asked if the government was preparing any plan to prevent an invasion of Great Britain. A Conservative MP, Vice Admiral Ernest Taylor , interrupted and asked him if he had forgotten the Royal Navy. Wedgwood countered that with: The British Navy could perfectly well defend this country if it had not gone to

19968-468: The two sides occurred the next morning without either side's intention. Glowworm , on her way to rejoin Renown , happened to come up behind Z11 Bernd von Arnim and then Z18 Hans Lüdemann in the heavy fog around 08:00 on 8 April. Immediately a skirmish broke out and the German destroyers fled, signalling for help. The request was soon answered by Admiral Hipper , which quickly crippled Glowworm . During

20124-401: The two tellers as they leave the lobby; the numbers they record are the definitive result of the division. The whips keep check on which MPs enter which lobby and try to persuade them to enter the lobby that the party would like them to enter. Until 2020, the names of Members voting in each lobby were recorded by clerks rather than electronic systems, but this procedure was reformed in response to

20280-412: The voice vote. Any TD may demand a division by calling Vótáil (vote). Since 2016, in an effort to reduce delays, many divisions are deferred until a weekly division time on Thursdays when they are taken one after another. Previous to this, if the Ceann Comhairle suspected that fewer than ten TDs had called for a division, he asked them to rise; if the number was less than ten, their names were entered in

20436-482: The voting button of an absent party colleague, either by accident or when they believed the colleague was elsewhere in the chamber during the division. News media reported that the Ceann Comhairle would propose suspending electronic voting pending investigation. On 22 October the Dáil committee on procedure commissioned a review by the clerk of the Dáil of the instances first reported, which had occurred on 17 October. The clerk's review and recommended changes to procedure

20592-445: The warring countries. The first such violations were the sinkings in Norwegian territorial waters of several British ships by German U-boats . In the following months, aircraft from all the belligerents violated Norwegian neutrality. Almost immediately after the outbreak of war, the British began pressuring the Norwegian government to provide them with the services of the Norwegian merchant navy, being in dire need of shipping to oppose

20748-409: The whips from both the government and the official opposition bowing to the Speaker and each other before returning to their seats. There are no division lobbies in the House of Commons, so each member votes by simply standing up from his or her seat. "Yea" votes are recorded first, followed by the "Nay" votes, on the Speaker's order. Finally, the clerk of the house reads the result of the vote aloud to

20904-406: The winner, stating, for example, "I think the Ayes have it, the Ayes have it". Otherwise, the Speaker declares a division. Any member may object to the Speaker's determination. If feeling that the division is unnecessary, the Speaker may first ask those who support the determination of the voice vote to rise, and then ask those who oppose the opinion to rise. Then, the Speaker may either declare that

21060-450: The withdrawal had created a shock in both the House and the country. At this point, the interruptions began as a Labour member shouted: "All over the world". Chamberlain sarcastically responded that "ministers, of course, must be expected to be blamed for everything". This provoked a heated reaction with several members derisively shouting: "They missed the bus!" The Speaker had to call on members not to interrupt, but they continued to repeat

21216-512: Was Chamberlain's Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) at the time, considered the government position to be sound politically, but less so in other respects. Colville worried that "the confidence of the country may be somewhat shaken". The Commons sitting on Tuesday, 7 May 1940, began at 14:45 with Speaker Edward FitzRoy in the Chair. There followed some private business matters and numerous oral answers to questions raised, many of those being about

21372-402: Was clean of the stain of appeasement. Chamberlain had been heckled during his speech for having "missed the bus" and he made his case worse by desperately trying, and failing, to excuse his use of that expression a month earlier. In doing so, he provided Attlee with an opportunity. During the conclusion of his response, Attlee said: Norway follows Czechoslovakia and Poland. Everywhere the story

21528-545: Was designed to quickly overwhelm the Norwegian defenders and occupy these vital areas before any form of organized resistance could be mounted. The following forces were thus organized: Additionally, the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau would escort Gruppe 1 and Gruppe 2 as they travelled together, and there would also be several echelons of transports carrying additional troops, fuel and equipment. Against Denmark, two motorized brigades would capture bridges and troops; paratroops would capture Aalborg airfield in

21684-470: Was endorsed and published by the committee on 24 October, and debated in the Dáil chamber the same day. Some politicians described the report as a whitewash . In the New Zealand House of Representatives , division of the assembly occurs when the result of a voice vote on a motion is split, and a member disagrees with the Speaker's call. There are two methods for handling a division: a party vote and

21840-401: Was established that those voting Aye would depart for the anteroom, while Noes would remain in the chamber. After the fire destroyed St Stephen's Chapel, the House of Commons Chamber was rebuilt with two lobbies, one for Ayes and one for Noes. If a division is to be taken, the Speaker first states, "Division! Clear the lobbies!" Like all parliamentary procedure, there is a historical reason for

21996-469: Was eventually determined that it would be safer for the operation if Denmark were captured by force. Another matter that caused additional reworking of the plan was Fall Gelb , the proposed invasion of northern France and the Low Countries , which would require the bulk of German forces. Because some forces were needed for both invasions, Weserübung could not occur at the same time as Gelb , and because

22152-418: Was first proposed, the Lord Speaker again proposes the question as above. If his opinion is not challenged, then the question is decided without a division. But if his decision is once again disputed, the Lord Speaker may again ask the question. The question may be repeated as many times as the Lord Speaker pleases; the process is referred to as "collecting the voices". But if a single Lord maintains an objection,

22308-570: Was frozen. He had, however, advised that a major landing in Norway was not realistically within Germany's powers. Apart from the naval victory in the Battles of Narvik , the Norwegian campaign went badly for the British forces, generally because of poor planning and organisation but essentially because military supplies were inadequate and, from 27 April, the Anglo-French forces were obliged to evacuate. When

22464-571: Was hearing and said Chamberlain was denying the fact that Britain had suffered a major defeat. The backbench Conservative MP Leo Amery said Chamberlain's speech left the House in a restive and depressed, though not yet mutinous, state of mind. Amery believed that Chamberlain was "obviously satisfied with things as they stood" and, in the government camp, the mood was actually positive as they believed they were, in John Colville's words, "going to get away with it". Clement Attlee responded as Leader of

22620-574: Was inflicted by the attack, but the German group's strength was reassessed as being one battlecruiser, two cruisers and ten destroyers. Because of a strict enforcement of radio silence , the bombers were not able to report this until 17:30. On learning of the German movement, the Admiralty came to the conclusion that the Germans were attempting to break the blockade that the Allies had placed on Germany and use their fleet to disrupt Atlantic trade routes . Admiral Sir Charles Forbes , Commander-in-Chief of

22776-520: Was inherited by the Assembly from the House of Commons of Northern Ireland for whom the current Assembly debating chamber was originally constructed. When a vote is required the Assembly Speaker will state "The Question is put ..." and then note the question that the members are asked to vote upon. The speaker will then conduct a voice vote and if the result of that vote is not conclusive, the Speaker will declare "The Assembly will divide" and call for

22932-436: Was not forthcoming about "certain operations (that) are in progress (as) we must do nothing which might jeopardise the lives of those engaged in them". He asked the House to defer comment and question until next week. Attlee agreed and so did Liberal leader Archibald Sinclair , except that he requested a debate on Norway lasting more than a single day. Attlee then presented Chamberlain with a private notice in which he requested

23088-408: Was not possible for Chamberlain to reach agreement with the opposition Labour and Liberal parties. They refused to serve under him, although they were willing to accept another Conservative as prime minister. After Chamberlain resigned as prime minister (he remained Conservative Party leader until October 1940), they agreed to serve under Churchill. In 1937, Neville Chamberlain, then Chancellor of

23244-409: Was overruled by his superior, Admiral Henry Diesen , and she was escorted through. Per Norwegian neutrality regulations, government ships operated by the warring countries were forbidden from such strategically important Norwegian ports. This violation of the regulations was because Diesen feared that the British would intercept Altmark if she was forced to sail further out. On 16 February, Altmark

23400-403: Was placed in charge of its planning and in command of the land-based forces. The official approval for the invasion and occupation of Denmark and Norway was signed by Hitler on 1 March. With the end of the Winter War, the Allies determined that any occupation of Norway or Sweden would likely do more harm than good, possibly driving the neutral countries into an alliance with Germany. However,

23556-599: Was soon changed to a plan involving the mining of Norwegian waters to stop iron ore shipments from Narvik and provoke Germany into attacking Norway, where it could be defeated by the Royal Navy . It was agreed to use Churchill's naval mining plan, Operation Wilfred , designed to remove the sanctuary of the Leads and force transport ships into international waters, where the Royal Navy could engage and destroy them. Accompanying this would be Plan R 4 , an operation where, upon almost certain German counteraction to Operation Wilfred,

23712-482: Was spotted by three British aircraft. This led the Royal Navy to send one light cruiser and five destroyers that were patrolling nearby. Under the attack of two British destroyers (HMS Ivanhoe and Intrepid ), Altmark fled into the Jøssingfjord. She was escorted by the Norwegian torpedo boat Skarv . She was joined later in the fjord by a second – Kjell – and the patrol boat Firern . As HMS Cossack entered

23868-575: Was the importance of iron ore from Sweden – upon which Germany depended – exported through the Norwegian port of Narvik . This route was especially important in the winter months when much of the Baltic Sea was frozen over. Narvik became of greater significance to the British when it became apparent that Operation Catherine , a plan to gain control of the Baltic Sea, would not be realized. Großadmiral Erich Raeder had pointed out several times in 1939

24024-404: Was the most dramatic he had ever heard, and the debate from that point on was no longer an investigation of the Norwegian campaign but "a criticism of the government's whole war effort". The next two speakers were National Liberal Lewis Jones and Labour's Frederick Bellenger , who was still a serving army officer and was evacuated from France only a month later. Jones, who supported Chamberlain,

24180-719: Was this: I said to him, "Your troops are most of them old, decayed serving men and tapsters and such kind of fellows.... You must get men of a spirit that are likely to go as far as they will go, or you will be beaten still". It may not be easy to find these men. They can be found only by trial and by ruthlessly discarding all who fail and have their failings discovered. We are fighting to-day for our life, for our liberty, for our all; we cannot go on being led as we are. I have quoted certain words of Oliver Cromwell. I will quote certain other words. I do it with great reluctance, because I am speaking of those who are old friends and associates of mine, but they are words which, I think, are applicable to

24336-523: Was unimpressive and was afterwards accused of introducing party politics into the debate. There was a general exodus from the chamber as Jones was speaking. Bellenger, who repeated much of Attlee's earlier message, called "in the public interest" for a government "of a different character and a different nature". When Bellenger sat down, it was 20:03 and the Deputy Speaker, Dennis Herbert , called on Leo Amery , who had been trying for several hours to gain

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