What is the whip, and what does it mean to have party whip is withdrawn? Tory rebel MPs’ punishment explained The whipping system is generally about discipline

The whip, a whip, three-line whips and whipping in general are terms we often hear in relation to voting and Parliament.

Most recently, the Prime Minister warned Tory rebels that they faced losing the whip if they voted against the Government to block a no-deal Brexit.

And he was true to his word, removing the whip from 21 MPs including former chancellors, secretaries of state and the grandson of Wintson Churchill, Sir Nicholas Soames.

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The whipping system is generally about discipline but, unhelpfully and confusingly, the same term is used to refer to different aspects of system.

What exactly is the whip? And who is a whip? Here is everything you need to know:

Who is a whip?

This job is essentially about discipline.

Each party appoints MPs or Lords as chief whip or whip with a remit to ensure the maximum number of party members vote in the way the party wants. This might be to pass or amend a law, or indeed, the party might not want a bill to be turned into legislation at all.

The chief whip’s role is to oversee and administer the whipping system. They have been known to use intense persuasion or even blackmail against MPs to ensure they stay in line.

Whips are particularly important if the government’s majority is small, which means it can more easily lose in major votes if politicians are not given strict instructions.

Chief whips Conservative – Mark Spencer Labour – Nick Brown

What is the whip?

When you hear about “the whip,” people tend to be referring to a document which is sent to MPs and peers from the whips (MPs) and highlights upcoming parliamentary business. It contains official instruction from leaders about how to vote on legislation, such as whether they should vote for or against a bill or an amendment.

They might even say that MPs and Lords must vote, but they can vote in any way they choose. This is known as a “free vote”.

Divisions, where MPs vote on debates, are listed in order of importance by the number of times they are underlined.

One/single-line whip Politicians do not have to attend a vote but if they do, they should vote with how their party wants. Two-line whip MPs and Lords must attend a division and vote in a particular way unless they give notice about why they can’t be there. Three-line whip Divisions that are considered important, such as second readings of significant bills, are underlined three times. Politicians must attend and vote as required. Defying a three-line whip has serious consequences. It can result in the having the whip withdrawn.

What does having the whip withdrawn mean?

Losing the whip, or having it withdrawn, is very serious business. It effectively means that an MP or peer is expelled from their party because they have not followed strict instruction from the leadership.

However they do not lose their seat. Until the whip is restored, they sit as an independent in their chamber.

Boris Johnson’s threat came ahead of a crunch Brexit vote in the House of Commons on Tuesday night. Cross-party opponents of a no-deal Brexit wanted to seize control of the parliamentary agenda to prevent Britain leaving the bloc without a deal on 31 October.

Tory whips warned grandees such as Philip Hammond and David Gauke to back the Government by voting against the motion or they would be booted out of the party.

But in a night of high drama, the Government lost by 328 votes to 301 after MPs staged a Brexit rebellion and successfully gained control of the agenda to push forward legislation to block a no deal.

Twenty-one Tories have been stripped of the Conservative whip and effectively barred from standing at the next general election in retaliation for rebelling over Brexit.

Who lost the whip? Kenneth Clarke: The veteran MP for Rushcliffe since 1970, a former chancellor, home secretary, justice secretary, health secretary and education secretary and the Father of the House. Philip Hammond: Theresa May’s chancellor until July, and previously foreign secretary, defence secretary, transport secretary. MP for Runnymede and Weybridge, he promised the”fight of a lifetime” if the leadership tried to block him from standing as the Tory candidate at the next election. David Gauke: He was justice secretary under Mrs May, and previously held Cabinet roles as work and pensions secretary and Treasury chief secretary. MP for South West Hertfordshire. Greg Clark: MP for Tunbridge Wells, he served in the Cabinet under Mrs May and David Cameron as communities secretary and then business secretary. Sir Oliver Letwin: MP for West Dorset, one of the leading figures in the rebel group. He played key roles in the Cameron government as Cabinet Office minister and chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Justine Greening: Putney MP, former education secretary, international development secretary and transport secretary. She told the PA news agency: “For me no-deal was always the most profoundly un-Conservative policy you could possibly have.” Dominic Grieve: Beaconsfield MP and former attorney general. The legal brain behind a series of rebel moves to block a no-deal Brexit. Rory Stewart: Penrith and The Border MP and former international development secretary. Stood against Mr Johnson in the Tory leadership race. Sir Nicholas Soames: MP for Crawley from 1983 to 1997 and for Mid Sussex since then. Grandson of Winston Churchill, former defence minister and shadow defence secretary. Alistair Burt: North East Bedfordshire MP, well-respected former Foreign Office minister. Told PA it was a “policy of insanity” to strip the whip from so many senior Conservatives. Sam Gyimah: East Surrey MP, former education minister. He told PA: “I’ve enjoyed being a Conservative member of Parliament but voting to stop a no-deal was the right thing to do.” Stephen Hammond: Wimbledon MP, former health minister. Guto Bebb: Aberconwy MP, former defence minister. Richard Benyon: Newbury MP, former minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Steve Brine: Winchester MP, former junior health minister. Richard Harrington: Watford MP, held a series of junior ministerial roles, most recently in the Business Department. Margot James: Stourbridge MP, former digital policy minister. Anne Milton: Guildford MP, former minister for women and education minister. Caroline Nokes: MP for Romsey and Southampton North, was immigration minister in Mrs May’s government. Antoinette Sandbach: Eddisbury MP, the only one of the rebels not to have held a frontbench position. Edward Vaizey: Wantage MP, culture minister under Mr Cameron.

Mr Johnson was condemned over the decision.