MPs have voted against a proposal to abolish the so called "tampon tax" which means women pay a 5% VAT levy on sanitary products classified as "non-essential luxury items" by the EU.

However, despite MPs voting 305 to 287 against the motion to scrap the tax, a cross-party support headed by Labour has meant Treasury minister David Gauke has promised to raise the issue with the European Commission.

Currently, tampons are subjected to EU tax for not being considered essential, meaning women are charged a government fee to purchase them as well as the costs incurred by retailers. As of 2000, the VAT on tampons and sanitary towels fell from 17.5% to 5% following a campaign by Labour MP Dawn Primarolo.

Tampon Tax: How VAT is paid on sanitary products in other countries

The 5% tax on sanitary products is the lowest rate possible under EU VAT law according to HM Revenue and Customs is currently enforced by the EU.

Following the vote, Gauke said: "There is very considerable cross-party support for the UK to abolish VAT on sanitary products. To that end, I will raise this issue with the EC and other member states setting out our views – that it should be possible for member states to apply a zero rate to sanitary products.

The vote comes after an online petition labelled: "Stop taxing periods. Period" called on government to back the campaign attracted more than 250,000 signatures.

Laura Coryton, who started the change.org petition, said: "Periods are no luxury. You can 'opt-in' to extravagance. You cannot choose to menstruate. Despite this, a whole heap of disadvantages have been created for those who do. Not using sanitary products can lead to health risks, jeopardise maintaining a normal, professional or personal life, and result in public ridicule. Equally, by using sanitary products, our Government capitalises on misogynist discourse and period shame that has caused us to fear our own menstrual cycles."

Below is the full list on Conservative MPs, and two UUPs, who voted against compelling the government to cut the tampon tax:

Mp Name Constituency Vote Nigel Adams Selby and Ainsty Con Adam Afriyie Windsor Con Peter Aldous Waveney Con Lucy Allan Telford Con Heidi Allen South Cambridgeshire Con David Amess Southend West Con Stuart Andrew Pudsey Con Caroline Ansell Eastbourne Con Edward Argar Charnwood Con Victoria Atkins Louth and Horncastle Con Richard Bacon South Norfolk Con Steven Baker Wycombe Con Harriett Baldwin West Worcestershire Con Stephen Barclay North East Cambridgeshire Con Gavin Barwell Croydon Central Con Guto Bebb Aberconwy Con Henry Bellingham North West Norfolk Con Richard Benyon Newbury Con Paul Beresford Mole Valley Con Jake Berry Rossendale and Darwen Con James Berry Kingston and Surbiton Con Andrew Bingham High Peak Con Bob Blackman Harrow East Con Nicola Blackwood Oxford West and Abingdon Con Nicholas Boles Grantham and Stamford Con Peter Bone Wellingborough Con Victoria Borwick Kensington Con Karen Bradley Staffordshire Moorlands Con Graham Brady Altrincham and Sale West Con Julian Brazier Canterbury Con Andrew Bridgen North West Leicestershire Con Steve Brine Winchester Con James Brokenshire Old Bexley and Sidcup Con Fiona Bruce Congleton Con Robert Buckland South Swindon Con Simon Burns Chelmsford Con David Burrowes Enfield, Southgate Con Alistair Burt North East Bedfordshire Con Alun Cairns Vale of Glamorgan Con Neil Carmichael Stroud Con James Cartlidge South Suffolk Con Maria Caulfield Lewes Con Alex Chalk Cheltenham Con Rehman Chishti Gillingham and Rainham Con Christopher Chope Christchurch Con Jo Churchill Bury St Edmunds Con Greg Clark Tunbridge Wells Con Kenneth Clarke Rushcliffe Con James Cleverly Braintree Con Geoffrey Clifton-Brown The Cotswolds Con Therese Coffey Suffolk Coastal Con Damian Collins Folkestone and Hythe Con Oliver Colvile Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport Con Alberto Costa South Leicestershire Con Geoffrey Cox Torridge and West Devon Con Stephen Crabb Preseli Pembrokeshire Con Tracey Crouch Chatham and Aylesford Con Byron Davies Gower Con Chris Davies Brecon and Radnorshire Con David Davies Monmouth Con Glyn Davies Montgomeryshire Con James Davies Vale of Clwyd Con Mims Davies Eastleigh Con David Davis Haltemprice and Howden Con Caroline Dinenage Gosport Con Jonathan Djanogly Huntingdon Con Michelle Donelan Chippenham Con Steve Double St Austell and Newquay Con Oliver Dowden Hertsmere Con Jackie Doyle-Price Thurrock Con Richard Drax South Dorset Con Flick Drummond Portsmouth South Con James Duddridge Rochford and Southend East Con Alan Duncan Rutland and Melton Con Iain Duncan Smith Chingford and Woodford Green Con Philip Dunne Ludlow Con Tom Elliott Fermanagh and South Tyrone UUP Michael Ellis Northampton North Con Jane Ellison Battersea Con Tobias Ellwood Bournemouth East Con Charlie Elphicke Dover Con George Eustice Camborne and Redruth Con Graham Evans Weaver Vale Con Nigel Evans Ribble Valley Con David Evennett Bexleyheath and Crayford Con Michael Fabricant Lichfield Con Michael Fallon Sevenoaks Con Mark Field Cities of London and Westminster Con Kevin Foster Torbay Con Liam Fox North Somerset Con Lucy Frazer South East Cambridgeshire Con George Freeman Mid Norfolk Con Mike Freer Finchley and Golders Green Con Richard Fuller Bedford Con Marcus Fysh Yeovil Con Edward Garnier Harborough Con Mark Garnier Wyre Forest Con David Gauke South West Hertfordshire Con Nusrat Ghani Wealden Con Nick Gibb Bognor Regis and Littlehampton Con Cheryl Gillan Chesham and Amersham Con John Glen Salisbury Con Zac Goldsmith Richmond Park Con Robert Goodwill Scarborough and Whitby Con Michael Gove Surrey Heath Con Richard Graham Gloucester Con Helen Grant Maidstone and The Weald Con James Gray North Wiltshire Con Chris Grayling Epsom and Ewell Con Chris Green Bolton West Con Damian Green Ashford Con Dominic Grieve Beaconsfield Con Andrew Griffiths Burton Con Ben Gummer Ipswich Con Sam Gyimah East Surrey Con Robert Halfon Harlow Con Luke Hall Thornbury and Yate Con Philip Hammond Runnymede and Weybridge Con Stephen Hammond Wimbledon Con Matthew Hancock West Suffolk Con Greg Hands Chelsea and Fulham Con Mark Harper Forest of Dean Con Richard Harrington Watford Con Rebecca Harris Castle Point Con Simon Hart Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Con Alan Haselhurst Saffron Walden Con John Hayes South Holland and The Deepings Con Oliver Heald North East Hertfordshire Con James Heappey Wells Con Chris Heaton-Harris Daventry Con Peter Heaton-Jones North Devon Con Gordon Henderson Sittingbourne and Sheppey Con Nick Herbert Arundel and South Downs Con Damian Hinds East Hampshire Con Simon Hoare North Dorset Con George Hollingbery Meon Valley Con Kevin Hollinrake Thirsk and Malton Con Kris Hopkins Keighley Con Gerald Howarth Aldershot Con John Howell Henley Con Ben Howlett Bath Con Nigel Huddleston Mid Worcestershire Con Jeremy Hunt South West Surrey Con Nick Hurd Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner Con Stewart Jackson Peterborough Con Margot James Stourbridge Con Sajid Javid Bromsgrove Con Ranil Jayawardena North East Hampshire Con Andrea Jenkyns Morley and Outwood Con Robert Jenrick Newark Con Boris Johnson Uxbridge and South Ruislip Con Gareth Johnson Dartford Con Jo Johnson Orpington Con Andrew Jones Harrogate and Knaresborough Con David Jones Clwyd West Con Marcus Jones Nuneaton Con Daniel Kawczynski Shrewsbury and Atcham Con Seema Kennedy South Ribble Con Danny Kinahan South Antrim UUP Simon Kirby Brighton, Kemptown Con Greg Knight East Yorkshire Con Julian Knight Solihull Con Kwasi Kwarteng Spelthorne Con Mark Lancaster Milton Keynes North Con Pauline Latham Mid Derbyshire Con Andrea Leadsom South Northamptonshire Con Phillip Lee Bracknell Con Jeremy Lefroy Stafford Con Edward Leigh Gainsborough Con Charlotte Leslie Bristol North West Con Oliver Letwin West Dorset Con Brandon Lewis Great Yarmouth Con Julian Lewis New Forest East Con Ian Liddell-Grainger Bridgwater and West Somerset Con David Lidington Aylesbury Con Jack Lopresti Filton and Bradley Stoke Con Jonathan Lord Woking Con Tim Loughton East Worthing and Shoreham Con Karen Lumley Redditch Con Craig Mackinlay South Thanet Con David Mackintosh Northampton South Con Anne Main St Albans Con Alan Mak Havant Con Kit Malthouse North West Hampshire Con Scott Mann North Cornwall Con Tania Mathias Twickenham Con Theresa May Maidenhead Con Paul Maynard Blackpool North and Cleveleys Con Jason McCartney Colne Valley Con Karl McCartney Lincoln Con Stephen McPartland Stevenage Con Mark Menzies Fylde Con Johnny Mercer Plymouth, Moor View Con Huw Merriman Bexhill and Battle Con Stephen Metcalfe South Basildon and East Thurrock Con Maria Miller Basingstoke Con Amanda Milling Cannock Chase Con Nigel Mills Amber Valley Con Anne Milton Guildford Con

Andrew Mitchell Sutton Coldfield Con Penny Mordaunt Portsmouth North Con Nicky Morgan Loughborough Con Anne Marie Morris Newton Abbot Con David Morris Morecambe and Lunesdale Con James Morris Halesowen and Rowley Regis Con Wendy Morton Aldridge-Brownhills Con David Mowat Warrington South Con David Mundell Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale Con Sheryll Murray South East Cornwall Con Andrew Murrison South West Wiltshire Con Bob Neill Bromley and Chislehurst Con Sarah Newton Truro and Falmouth Con Caroline Nokes Romsey and Southampton North Con Jesse Norman Hereford and South Herefordshire Con Matthew Offord Hendon Con Guy Opperman Hexham Con George Osborne Tatton Con Neil Parish Tiverton and Honiton Con Priti Patel Witham Con Owen Paterson North Shropshire Con Mark Pawsey Rugby Con Mike Penning Hemel Hempstead Con John Penrose Weston-Super-Mare Con Andrew Percy Brigg and Goole Con Claire Perry Devizes Con Stephen Phillips Sleaford and North Hykeham Con Chris Philp Croydon South Con Eric Pickles Brentwood and Ongar Con Christopher Pincher Tamworth Con Daniel Poulter Central Suffolk and North Ipswich Con Rebecca Pow Taunton Deane Con Victoria Prentis Banbury Con Mark Prisk Hertford and Stortford Con Mark Pritchard The Wrekin Con Tom Pursglove Corby Con Jeremy Quin Horsham Con Will Quince Colchester Con Dominic Raab Esher and Walton Con Jacob Rees-Mogg North East Somerset Con Laurence Robertson Tewkesbury Con Mary Robinson Cheadle Con Andrew Rosindell Romford Con Amber Rudd Hastings and Rye Con David Rutley Macclesfield Con Antoinette Sandbach Eddisbury Con Paul Scully Sutton and Cheam Con Andrew Selous South West Bedfordshire Con Alok Sharma Reading West Con Alec Shelbrooke Elmet and Rothwell Con Keith Simpson Broadland Con Chris Skidmore Kingswood Con Chloe Smith Norwich North Con Henry Smith Crawley Con Julian Smith Skipton and Ripon Con Royston Smith Southampton, Itchen Con Amanda Solloway Derby North Con Anna Soubry Broxtowe Con Caroline Spelman Meriden Con Mark Spencer Sherwood Con Andrew Stephenson Pendle Con John Stevenson Carlisle Con Bob Stewart Beckenham Con Iain Stewart Milton Keynes South Con Gary Streeter South West Devon Con Mel Stride Central Devon Con Graham Stuart Beverley and Holderness Con Julian Sturdy York Outer Con Rishi Sunak Richmond (Yorks) Con Desmond Swayne New Forest West Con Hugo Swire East Devon Con Robert Syms Poole Con Derek Thomas St Ives Con Maggie Throup Erewash Con Edward Timpson Crewe and Nantwich Con Kelly Tolhurst Rochester and Strood Con Justin Tomlinson North Swindon Con Michael Tomlinson Mid Dorset and North Poole Con Craig Tracey North Warwickshire Con David Tredinnick Bosworth Con Anne-Marie Trevelyan Berwick-upon-Tweed Con Elizabeth Truss South West Norfolk Con Thomas Tugendhat Tonbridge and Malling Con Andrew Turner Isle of Wight Con Andrew Tyrie Chichester Con Ed Vaizey Wantage Con Shailesh Vara North West Cambridgeshire Con Martin Vickers Cleethorpes Con Charles Walker Broxbourne Con Robin Walker Worcester Con Ben Wallace Wyre and Preston North Con David Warburton Somerton and Frome Con Matt Warman Boston and Skegness Con Angela Watkinson Hornchurch and Upminster Con James Wharton Stockton South Con Helen Whately Faversham and Mid Kent Con Heather Wheeler South Derbyshire Con Chris White Warwick and Leamington Con Craig Whittaker Calder Valley Con Bill Wiggin North Herefordshire Con Craig Williams Cardiff North Con Gavin Williamson South Staffordshire Con Rob Wilson Reading East Con Sarah Wollaston Totnes Con Mike Wood Dudley South Con William Wragg Hazel Grove Con Jeremy Wright Kenilworth and Southam Con Nadhim Zahawi Stratford-on-Avon Con

Correction: This article has been amended to state HM Revenue and Customs said 5% is the lowest rate possible and the UK does not have the lowest in Europe.

