The Whips

In 1742 Lord Guernsey (1715-77) compared huntsmen’s assistants ‘whipping-in’ straying hounds back into the pack with Parliamentary leaders’ assistants coercing their Party’s wayward MPs to show up and vote for the Party’s policies. The metaphor stuck and the Whips still play a key role in the expected functioning of both Houses.

The Chief Government Whip has 8-10 Assistant Whips allocated to Members from different geographical areas. He draws up the weekly Order of Business in consultation with the Leader of the House and circulates it to Members. Important items are underlined once, twice or thrice according to degree of necessity for attending the debate. The most pivotal matters have three underlines, hence the term “three-line whip”. Absence could be excused if a ‘pairing’ is arranged with a trustworthy Opposition Member.

However, a Member who defiantly goes against ‘the Party line’ may find the whip ‘withdrawn’ temporarily which could lead to expulsion from the Party. Whips, who must be excellent communicators and negotiators in their interactions with all Parliamentary levels, passing information back and forth, do thereby have certain ‘carrots’ for persuasion of wavering Members, such as recommendation for promotion or even Honours, since they have the ear of those who decide those matters.

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