Party Whips Flashcards
What are party whips
Whips are MPs and peers appointed by their party to ensure other members ‘toe the party line’ - voting according to their party’s agenda
How do party whips maintain discipline
They have the power to allocate offices in the parliamentary estate, offer possibilities of government or shadow government positions to MPs in exchange for their loyalty. Or, Conservative whips kept a ‘black book’ containing party members’ misdemeanours for leverage - e.g., during January 2022, Partygate, William Wragg accused government of blackmailing MPs, stating that their constituencies would lose investment if they continued to oust Boris Johnson
What happens if an MP defies a whip (aka whip removal) and what is the punishment
If an MP defies a three-line whip (meaning that the MPs attendance is essential), the MP ceases to represent their party and sits as an Independent - e.g., 21 Conservative MPs had the whip removed in 2019 after voting against the Government over the Benn Act, which was designed to remove the possibility of a no-deal Brexit
What is a free vote
This means that the vote is not whipped and MPs may vote as they wish
What is the main role of Chief Whip
The primary role of the Chief Whip is to get the Government’s business through the Assembly, and in particular secure the Government’s majority in votes on it’s legislative and policy programs
