Whip in United Kingdom

Whip Meaning in Politics

Description of Whip published by Mona Chalabi: A strange, though not wholly irrelevant word, that’s used to describe the individuals who are responsible for maintaining party discipline. Whips, who are either MPs or members of the House of Lords, are appointed to make sure that the maximum number of party members show up to vote and that they vote the way the party wants. Each week, whips send out a note (the document is also called the whip) that describes upcoming business where the party line will be important. If the item on the agenda is underlined once, it’s a little important. If it’s underlined twice, it’s quite important. If a matter is considered so important that it’s underlined three times, then it’s very serious, and if an MP defies the instruction, she could be expelled from her party and have to spend the rest of her time in Parliament sitting as an independent. When the majority in government is small or when there’s a minority government (both future situations that look possible right now), then party discipline is even more important and so are the whips.