Chief Whip
Encyclopedia
The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislature
s assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system
that ensures that members of the party
attend and vote as the party leadership desires.
politics
, the Chief Whip of the governing party in the House of Commons is usually appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
so that the incumbent, who represents the whips in general, has a seat and a voice in the Cabinet
. By virtue of holding the office of Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, the Government Chief Whip has an official residence at 12 Downing Street
. However, the Chief Whip's office is currently located at 9 Downing Street
.
As shown in BBC
television series Yes Minister
and House of Cards
, the Chief Whip can wield a large amount of power over those in their party, up to and including cabinet ministers, being seen to speak at all times with the voice of the Prime Minister
. Margaret Thatcher
was famed for using her Chief Whip as a "cabinet enforcer".
The role of Chief Whip is regarded as secretive, as the Whip is concerned with the discipline of their own party's Members of Parliament
and never appears on television or radio in their capacity as whip. Whips in the House of Commons do not speak in debates.
The Government Chief Whip is assisted by the Deputy Chief Whip, Whips, and Assistant Whips. In order to give them a salary for what is in essence a party office, the government whips are appointed to positions in HM Treasury
and in the Royal Household
under the Lord Steward of The Household
. The whips are not active in either of these departments. The Deputy Chief Whip is Treasurer of HM Household
, the next two Whips are Comptroller of HM Household
and Vice-Chamberlain of HM Household
, and the remaining Whips are Lords Commissioners of the Treasury
. Assistant Whips, and Whips of opposition parties, generally do not receive such appointments.
The current Government Whips in the Commons are:
A similar arrangement exists for Whips in the House of Lords
. The Government Chief Whip is usually appointed Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms, while the Deputy Chief Whip is usually appointed Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard
. Other Whips, who are fewer in number due to the decreased importance of party discipline in the Lords, are appointed as Lords in Waiting
if men and Baronesses in Waiting if women. As well as their duties as whips, Lords whips speak in the Chamber (unlike Commons whips) to support departmental ministers or act as a spokesperson for a department where there is no Lords minister. The current Lords whips are:
Outside of the government, the Official Opposition Chief Whip in the Commons, like the Leader of the Opposition, receives a stipend in addition to his parliamentary salary, because his additional responsibilities will make him unable to hold down another job.
The whips, although superficially dictatorial, do act as communicators between the backbenchers and the party leadership. Ultimately if backbenchers are unhappy with the leadership's position they can threaten to revolt during a vote and force the leadership to compromise.
While the whip was formally introduced to British politics by the Irish Parliamentary Party
under Charles Stewart Parnell
in the 1880s, in 1846 the Duke of Wellington
advised the new Conservative Party
leader Lord Stanley
to ensure that his "whippers-in" were personally loyal.
has been rung). Even though it determines the outcome of the votes crucially far more than the debate, neither these instructions, which are visible to everyone in the chamber, nor the "whip" letter at the start of the week, are recorded in Hansard
, as they are considered an internal matter of the political party
; indeed, the system exists because any explicit direction to an MP as to how they should vote would technically be a Breach of Parliamentary Privilege
.
The consequences for defying the party whip depend on the circumstances and are usually negotiated with the party whip in advance. The party whip's job is to ensure the outcome of the vote, so the situation is different and more important for a party which holds the majority, because if their members obey the whip they can always win. They can make allowances for MPs who are away on important business, whose political circumstances require them to take a particular single issue very seriously, or if there is a mass revolt. Theoretically at least, expulsion from the party is automatically consequent from defying a three-line whip.
An example of this is in the case of John Major
's government. Nine conservative Members of Parliament had their whips removed after voting against the government on its stance to the Maastricht Treaty
. It was also the only time when MPs who are being whipped were co-operating with the opposite side's whips.
There are some cases in which whips are removed because an issue is a matter of conscience. These include adoption, religion and equal opportunities. The impact of a whip being imposed on a matter of conscience can be damaging for a party leader. One such case was that of Iain Duncan-Smith, who imposed a three-line whip against adoption of children by gay couples. Several Conservative
MPs voted against the official party line, and Duncan-Smith's authority was weakened.
Whips can often be brutal to backbencher
s to secure their vote, and will resort to a mixture of promises, threats, blackmail and extortion to force an unpopular vote. A good whip will know secrets and incriminating information about Members of Parliament. A whip should know major figures in an MP's local constituency party and the MP's agent. There have been cases where Members of Parliament were wheeled from far afield to vote for the government on a crucial vote. Former MP Joe Ashton remembered a case from the dying days of James Callaghan
's government:
For a minister
, the consequences for defying the party whip are absolute: they are dismissed from their job immediately, if they have not already resigned, and return to being a backbencher. Sometimes their votes in Parliament are called the "payroll vote
", because they can be taken for granted. The consequences for a back-bencher can include the lack of future promotion to a government post, a reduction of party campaigning effort in his or her constituency during the next election, deselection by his or her local party activists, or, in extreme circumstances, "withdrawal of the whip" and expulsion from the party.
The United States uses the similar terms, majority whip and minority whip.
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
s assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
that ensures that members of the party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
attend and vote as the party leadership desires.
The Whips Office
In BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politics
Politics of the United Kingdom
The politics of the United Kingdom takes place within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is the head of state and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government...
, the Chief Whip of the governing party in the House of Commons is usually appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
Secretary to the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are several Secretaries to the Treasury, who are junior Treasury ministers nominally acting as secretaries to HM Treasury. The origins of the office are unclear, although it probably originated during Lord Burghley's tenure as Lord Treasurer in the 16th century. The...
so that the incumbent, who represents the whips in general, has a seat and a voice in the Cabinet
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
. By virtue of holding the office of Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, the Government Chief Whip has an official residence at 12 Downing Street
12 Downing Street
12 Downing Street is the official residence of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury. This is the post held by the Chief Whip of the governing party of the UK Parliament....
. However, the Chief Whip's office is currently located at 9 Downing Street
9 Downing Street
9 Downing Street is one of the buildings situated on Downing Street in the City of Westminster in London, England.Under the current government, the building is being used to house the office of the Chief Whip and is also the Downing Street entrance to the Privy Council Office.Formerly the building...
.
As shown in BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series Yes Minister
Yes Minister
Yes Minister is a satirical British sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn that was first transmitted by BBC Television between 1980–1982 and 1984, split over three seven-episode series. The sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, ran from 1986 to 1988. In total there were 38 episodes—of which all but...
and House of Cards
House of Cards
House of Cards is a 1990 political thriller television drama serial by the BBC in four parts, set after the end of Margaret Thatcher's tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. It was televised from 18 November to 9 December 1990, to critical and popular acclaim...
, the Chief Whip can wield a large amount of power over those in their party, up to and including cabinet ministers, being seen to speak at all times with the voice of the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
. Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
was famed for using her Chief Whip as a "cabinet enforcer".
The role of Chief Whip is regarded as secretive, as the Whip is concerned with the discipline of their own party's Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and never appears on television or radio in their capacity as whip. Whips in the House of Commons do not speak in debates.
The Government Chief Whip is assisted by the Deputy Chief Whip, Whips, and Assistant Whips. In order to give them a salary for what is in essence a party office, the government whips are appointed to positions in HM Treasury
HM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
and in the Royal Household
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
under the Lord Steward of The Household
Lord Steward
The Lord Steward or Lord Steward of the Household, in England, is an important official of the Royal Household. He is always a peer. Until 1924, he was always a member of the Government...
. The whips are not active in either of these departments. The Deputy Chief Whip is Treasurer of HM Household
Treasurer of the Household
The position of Treasurer of the Household is theoretically held by a household official of the British monarch, under control of the Lord Steward's Department, but is, in fact, a political office held by one of the government's Deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons...
, the next two Whips are Comptroller of HM Household
Comptroller of the Household
The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the English royal household, currently the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department, and often a cabinet member. He was an ex officio member of the Board of Green Cloth, until that body was abolished in the reform of the local...
and Vice-Chamberlain of HM Household
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is usually a junior government whip in the British House of Commons and is an officer of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He or she is the Deputy to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household. The Vice-Chamberlain's main role is to compile...
, and the remaining Whips are Lords Commissioners of the Treasury
Lord High Treasurer
The post of Lord High Treasurer or Lord Treasurer was an English government position and has been a British government position since the Act of Union of 1707. A holder of the post would be the third highest ranked Great Officer of State, below the Lord High Chancellor and above the Lord President...
. Assistant Whips, and Whips of opposition parties, generally do not receive such appointments.
The current Government Whips in the Commons are:
- Chief Whip (Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury): The Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlinPatrick McLoughlinPatrick Allen McLoughlin is a British Conservative Party politician. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1986, initially for West Derbyshire and since 2010 for its successor, the Derbyshire Dales constituency...
MP (ConConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
) - Deputy Chief Whip (Treasurer of HM Household) - John RandallJohn Randall (UK politician)Alexander John Randall, known as John Randall, is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom, and is the Member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.-Early life:...
MP (Con) - Deputy Chief Whip (Comptroller of HM Household) - Alistair CarmichaelAlistair CarmichaelAlexander Morrison "Alistair" Carmichael is a Liberal Democrat politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for the Scottish seat of Orkney and Shetland since the 2001 general election.-Early life:...
MP (LD) - Government Whip (Vice Chamberlain of HM Household) - Mark FrancoisMark FrancoisMark Gino Francois is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Rayleigh and Wickford.-Early life:...
MP (Con) - Junior Lords of the Treasury:
- Michael FabricantMichael FabricantMichael Louis David Fabricant is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Lichfield in Staffordshire.-Early life:...
MP (Con) - Angela WatkinsonAngela WatkinsonAngela Eileen Watkinson is a politician in the United Kingdom. She is Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Hornchurch and Upminster, and was first elected in 2001 to the earlier seat of Upminster, beating Keith Darvill who had taken the seat from the Conservatives in 1997...
MP (Con) - Jeremy WrightJeremy Wright (politician)Jeremy Paul Wright is a British Conservative Party politician, and current Member of Parliament for the constituency of Kenilworth and Southam in Warwickshire...
MP (Con) - Brooks NewmarkBrooks NewmarkBrooks Phillip Victor Newmark is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Braintree.-Early life:Brooks was born in Westport CT, USA on 8th May 1958 to Howard Newmark and Gilda Gourlay . He moved to England aged 9 years old and attended Caldicott Prep School and Bedford School and graduated from...
MP (Con) - James Duddridge MP (Con)
- Michael Fabricant
- Assistant Whips:
- Philip DunnePhilip Dunne (politician)Philip Martin Dunne is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for the Ludlow constituency in Shropshire....
MP (Con) - Stephen CrabbStephen CrabbStephen Crabb is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Preseli Pembrokeshire.-Background:Crabb was born in Inverness and brought up in council housing in Pembrokeshire...
MP (Con) - Robert GoodwillRobert GoodwillRobert Goodwill is a British farmer and Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Scarborough and Whitby and a former Member of the European Parliament .-Early life:...
MP (Con) - Shailesh Vara MP (Con)
- Bill WigginBill WigginWilliam David Wiggin is a British Conservative Party politician, Member of Parliament and a former Shadow Minister for Agriculture & Fisheries. He held the seat of Leominster from the 2001 election until the 2010 election, when the seat of Leominster was abolished...
MP (Con) - Mark HunterMark Hunter (politician)Mark James Hunter is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is the current Member of Parliament for Cheadle.-Education and background:...
MP (LD) - Norman LambNorman LambNorman Peter Lamb is a British Liberal Democrat politician, and Chief Parliamentary and Political Adviser and Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg.He is the Member of Parliament for North Norfolk....
MP (LD) - Greg HandsGreg HandsGregory William "Greg" Hands, MP is a Conservative Party politician. He is currently the Member of Parliament for Chelsea and Fulham having been elected during the 2010 general election for the newly-created constituency formed with the splitting of the former constituencies of Kensington and...
MP (Con)
- Philip Dunne
A similar arrangement exists for Whips in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. The Government Chief Whip is usually appointed Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms, while the Deputy Chief Whip is usually appointed Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard
The Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard is a UK government post usually held by the Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords...
. Other Whips, who are fewer in number due to the decreased importance of party discipline in the Lords, are appointed as Lords in Waiting
Lord-in-Waiting
Most Lords in Waiting are Government whips in the House of Lords who are members of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. As members of the Royal Household their duties are nominal, though they are occasionally required to meet visiting political and state leaders on visits...
if men and Baronesses in Waiting if women. As well as their duties as whips, Lords whips speak in the Chamber (unlike Commons whips) to support departmental ministers or act as a spokesperson for a department where there is no Lords minister. The current Lords whips are:
- Chief Whip (Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms): The Rt Hon The Baroness Anelay of St JohnsJoyce Anelay, Baroness Anelay of St JohnsJoyce Anne Anelay, Baroness Anelay of St. Johns, DBE, PC is a Conservative member of the House of Lords and has been the Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords since 12 May 2010, having previously been Opposition Chief Whip before the May 2010 General Election.-Early life:She was born Joyce...
DBE PC (Con) - Deputy Chief Whip (Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard): The Rt Hon The Lord Shutt of GreetlandDavid Shutt, Baron Shutt of GreetlandDavid Trevor Shutt, Baron Shutt of Greetland, OBE, PC is a British Liberal Democrat politician, currently serving as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard and Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords.-Career:...
OBE PC (LD) - Lords and Baronesses in Waiting:
- The Earl AttleeJohn Attlee, 3rd Earl AttleeJohn Richard Attlee, 3rd Earl Attlee is a British peer, a member of the House of Lords and the grandson of Clement Attlee, the British Labour Prime Minister, who was 1st Earl Attlee. He is a trustee of the Attlee Foundation....
(Con) - The Lord Astor of HeverJohn Astor, 3rd Baron Astor of HeverJohn Jacob Astor, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever, DL is a British businessman and Conservative elected hereditary peer in the House of Lords...
(Con) - The Lord de MauleyRupert Ponsonby, 7th Baron de MauleyRupert Charles Ponsonby, 7th Baron de Mauley TD FCA is a British hereditary peer, Government whip and retired Territorial Army officer.-Education:...
(Con) - The Baroness NorthoverLindsay Northover, Baroness NorthoverLindsay Patricia Northover, Baroness Northover is a Liberal Democrat British politician and currently a Government Whip in the House of Lords with responsibilities covering health, Law Officers, Ministry of Justice, Wales Office and for Women and Equalities and under the new coalition government,...
(LD) - The Baroness RawlingsPatricia Rawlings, Baroness RawlingsPatricia Elizabeth Rawlings, Baroness Rawlings is a Conservative Party politician and frontbencher in the House of Lords. She was a Member of the European Parliament from 1989 to 1994....
(Con) - The Lord Taylor of HolbeachJohn Taylor, Baron Taylor of HolbeachJohn Derek Taylor, Baron Taylor of Holbeach, CBE is a British Conservative politician and current junior minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.-Biography:...
(Con) - The Baroness VermaSandip Verma, Baroness VermaSandip Verma, Baroness Verma is a British businesswoman, member of the House of Lords and currently a Government Whip and Spokesperson for the Cabinet Office, International Development and Equalities and Women's Issues...
(Con) - The Lord Wallace of SaltaireWilliam Wallace, Baron Wallace of SaltaireWilliam John Lawrence Wallace, Baron Wallace of Saltaire is a British academic, writer, politician and Lord in Waiting.-Early life:...
(LD)
- The Earl Attlee
Outside of the government, the Official Opposition Chief Whip in the Commons, like the Leader of the Opposition, receives a stipend in addition to his parliamentary salary, because his additional responsibilities will make him unable to hold down another job.
The whips, although superficially dictatorial, do act as communicators between the backbenchers and the party leadership. Ultimately if backbenchers are unhappy with the leadership's position they can threaten to revolt during a vote and force the leadership to compromise.
While the whip was formally introduced to British politics by the Irish Parliamentary Party
Irish Parliamentary Party
The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...
under Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...
in the 1880s, in 1846 the Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
advised the new Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
leader Lord Stanley
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, KG, PC was an English statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and to date the longest serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley...
to ensure that his "whippers-in" were personally loyal.
The whip as a party line
In the UK Parliament the importance of a vote is indicated by underlining of items on the "whip", which is the name of the letter the Chief Whip sends to all the MPs in their party at the start of the week. This letter informs them of the schedule for the days ahead, and includes the sentence, "Your attendance is absolutely essential" next to each debate in which there will be a vote. This sentence is underlined one, two or three times depending on the consequences that will be suffered if they do not turn up, hence the origin of the terms one-line whip, two-line whip and three-line whip. The actual direction of their vote is communicated to them in the chamber by hand signals during the division when the time comes (usually after the division bellDivision bell
A division bell is a bell rung in or around a parliament to signal a division and thus call all members of the chamber so affected to vote in it.- In the United Kingdom :...
has been rung). Even though it determines the outcome of the votes crucially far more than the debate, neither these instructions, which are visible to everyone in the chamber, nor the "whip" letter at the start of the week, are recorded in Hansard
Hansard
Hansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, an early printer and publisher of these transcripts.-Origins:...
, as they are considered an internal matter of the political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
; indeed, the system exists because any explicit direction to an MP as to how they should vote would technically be a Breach of Parliamentary Privilege
Parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary privilege is a legal immunity enjoyed by members of certain legislatures, in which legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions done or statements made related to one's duties as a legislator. It is common in countries whose constitutions are...
.
The consequences for defying the party whip depend on the circumstances and are usually negotiated with the party whip in advance. The party whip's job is to ensure the outcome of the vote, so the situation is different and more important for a party which holds the majority, because if their members obey the whip they can always win. They can make allowances for MPs who are away on important business, whose political circumstances require them to take a particular single issue very seriously, or if there is a mass revolt. Theoretically at least, expulsion from the party is automatically consequent from defying a three-line whip.
An example of this is in the case of John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
's government. Nine conservative Members of Parliament had their whips removed after voting against the government on its stance to the Maastricht Treaty
Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands. On 9–10 December 1991, the same city hosted the European Council which drafted the treaty...
. It was also the only time when MPs who are being whipped were co-operating with the opposite side's whips.
There are some cases in which whips are removed because an issue is a matter of conscience. These include adoption, religion and equal opportunities. The impact of a whip being imposed on a matter of conscience can be damaging for a party leader. One such case was that of Iain Duncan-Smith, who imposed a three-line whip against adoption of children by gay couples. Several Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MPs voted against the official party line, and Duncan-Smith's authority was weakened.
Whips can often be brutal to backbencher
Backbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
s to secure their vote, and will resort to a mixture of promises, threats, blackmail and extortion to force an unpopular vote. A good whip will know secrets and incriminating information about Members of Parliament. A whip should know major figures in an MP's local constituency party and the MP's agent. There have been cases where Members of Parliament were wheeled from far afield to vote for the government on a crucial vote. Former MP Joe Ashton remembered a case from the dying days of James Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
's government:
- "I remember the famous case of Leslie SpriggsLeslie SpriggsLeslie Spriggs was a British Labour politician and trade unionist, MP for St Helens from 1958 until 1983.Born in Bolton, Spriggs served in the Navy and then worked on the railways. It was whilst he was working for the railways that he became involved in socialism and the trade union movement...
, 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 ThomasJohn Stradling ThomasSir John Stradling Thomas was a Welsh Conservative Party politician.Thomas was educated at Rugby School and the University of London. He served as a councillor on Carmarthen Borough Council 1961-64. He was a farmer, company director and broadcaster.Thomas contested Aberavon in 1964 and...
said to Joe HarperJoseph Harper (English politician)Joseph Harper was a Labour Party politician in Great Britain.He was elected as the Member of Parliament MP for Pontefract at a by-election in 1962. He was MP for the constituency and then Pontefract and Castleford until he died in office aged 64...
, 'How do we know that he is alive?' So he leaned forward, turned the knob on the heart machine, the green light went around, and he said, 'There, you've lost—it's 311.' That is an absolutely true story. It is the sort of nonsense that used to happen. No one believes it, but it is true."
For a minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
, the consequences for defying the party whip are absolute: they are dismissed from their job immediately, if they have not already resigned, and return to being a backbencher. Sometimes their votes in Parliament are called the "payroll vote
Payroll vote
Payroll vote is a term in the British Parliamentary System for Members of Parliament who concurrently hold Government positions. It includes ministers, junior ministers and Parliamentary Private Secretaries: even though the last are unpaid, they are "widely regarded as being on the first rung of...
", because they can be taken for granted. The consequences for a back-bencher can include the lack of future promotion to a government post, a reduction of party campaigning effort in his or her constituency during the next election, deselection by his or her local party activists, or, in extreme circumstances, "withdrawal of the whip" and expulsion from the party.
Lists of Chief Whips by party
- Conservative Chief WhipConservative Chief WhipThis is a list of people who have served as Chief Whip of the Conservative Party, previously the Tory Party, in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-House of Commons:*circa 1802: William Holmes*1832: none*1835: Sir George Clerk...
- Labour Chief WhipLabour Chief WhipThis is a list of those people who have served as Chief Whip of the Labour Party in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-House of Commons:*1906: David Shackleton*1906: Arthur Henderson*1907: George Roberts*1914: Arthur Henderson*1914: Frank Goldstone...
- Liberal Chief WhipLiberal Chief WhipThis is a list of people who served as Chief Whip of the Liberal Party in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Liberal Party merged into the Liberal Democrats in 1988.-House of Commons:*1830: Edward Ellice*1832: Charles Wood...
- Ulster Unionist Chief WhipUlster Unionist Chief WhipThis is a list of people who served as Chief Whip of the Ulster Unionist Party in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the Parliament of Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Assembly.-Parliament of the United Kingdom:...
- For a list of former Government Chief Whips, see Secretary to the Treasury#Parliamentary Secretaries to the Treasury, 1830–present
Other jurisdictions
There are also Chief Whips in:- AustraliaPolitics of AustraliaThe Politics of Australia take place within the framework of a parliamentary democracy, with electoral procedures appropriate to a two-party system. Australia is governed as a federation and as a constitutional monarchy, with an adversarial legislature based upon the Westminster system...
- CanadaPolitics of CanadaThe politics of Canada function within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is head of state...
– Chief Government Whip (Canada)Chief Government Whip (Canada)In Canada the Party Whip is the member of a political party in the Canadian House of Commons, the Canadian Senate or a provincial legislature charged with ensuring party discipline among members of the caucus... - GhanaPolitics of GhanaPolitics of Ghana takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Ghana is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. The seat of government is at Golden Jubilee House. Executive power is exercised by the...
- IndiaPolitics of IndiaThe politics of India takes place within the framework of a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of India is head of state and the Prime Minister of India is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the President and is independent of the legislature...
- IrelandMinister of State at the Department of the TaoiseachThe Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, officially styled as the Minister of State at the Departments of the Taoiseach and Defence with special responsibility as Government Chief Whip, is the Chief Whip of the Government of Ireland and is the most senior Minister of State...
- MalaysiaPolitics of MalaysiaThe politics of Malaysia takes place in the framework of a federal constitutional monarchy, in which the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is head of state and the Prime Minister of Malaysia is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the federal government and the 13 state governments. ...
– Chief Whip (Malaysia)Chief Whip (Malaysia)The Chief Whip in Malaysia is the Member of Parliament from the governing party who ensures each MP votes in accordance with the party line when necessary. The office of the Chief Whip exists only in the lower house of Parliament, the Dewan Rakyat... - NamibiaPolitics of NamibiaPolitics of Namibia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Namibia is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in...
- New ZealandPolitics of New ZealandThe politics of New Zealand take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic monarchy. The basic system is closely patterned on that of the Westminster System, although a number of significant modifications have been made...
- PakistanPolitics of PakistanPolitics of Pakistan have taken place in the framework of a federal republic, where the system of government has at times been parliamentary, presidential, or semi-presidential. In the current parliamentary system, the President of Pakistan is the largely ceremonial head of state, the Prime...
- ScotlandPolitics of ScotlandThe Politics of Scotland forms a distinctive part of the wider politics of Europe.Theoretically, the United Kingdom is de jure a "unitary state" with one sovereign parliament and government...
- Minister for Parliamentary Business and Chief WhipMinister for Parliamentary Business and Chief WhipThe Minister for Parliamentary Business and Chief Whip is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government whose job it is to steer government business through the Scottish Parliament. It is currently held by Brian Adam MSP of the Scottish National Party... - Sri LankaPolitics of Sri LankaPolitics of Sri Lanka takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Sri Lanka is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both...
– Chief Whip (Sri Lanka) - South AfricaPolitics of South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a unitary, parliamentary republic. The President of South Africa is both head of state and head of government; in the same manner as the prime minister of other nations, the President is elected by the National Assembly and must enjoy the confidence of the Assembly...
- Trinidad and TobagoPolitics of Trinidad and TobagoThe politics of Trinidad and Tobago function within the framework of a unitary state regulated by a parliamentary democracy modelled on that of the UK, from which the country gained its independence in 1962...
- UgandaPolitics of UgandaUganda is a presidential republic, in which the President of Uganda is both head of state and head of government; there is a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly...
- BangladeshPolitics of BangladeshPolitics of Bangladesh takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Bangladesh is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the...
The United States uses the similar terms, majority whip and minority whip.