Party Discipline, Whips, and Backbench Rebellions
Party discipline is the mechanism through which political parties maintain unity and cohesion in Parliament. The whip system ensures that MPs vote according to the party line, enabling governments to pass legislation and maintain power. However, party discipline also raises questions about the independence of MPs and the effectiveness of parliamentary scrutiny. This lesson examines how party discipline works, its strengths and weaknesses, and the growing significance of backbench rebellions.
The Whip System
What Are Whips?
Each major party appoints a team of Whips — MPs whose job is to ensure that their party's MPs attend debates, vote as instructed, and maintain party discipline. The Chief Whip is the most senior, coordinating the whipping operation and acting as a channel between the leadership and backbenchers.
The Whip (the Document)
The term "whip" also refers to the weekly circular sent to MPs outlining the party's expectations for the coming week's business:
| Type | Meaning |
|---|
| One-line whip | MPs are informed of business; attendance is not strictly required |
| Two-line whip | MPs are expected to attend and vote unless they have permission to be absent (a "pair" arrangement) |
| Three-line whip | Attendance and voting with the party are mandatory; defiance may result in disciplinary action |
Tools of the Whips
Whips use a combination of persuasion, incentives, and sanctions to maintain discipline:
Incentives:
- Promise of promotion (to ministerial or shadow ministerial positions).
- Patronage — influence over appointments, committee membership, and honours.
- Support for the MP's constituency campaigns and projects.
Sanctions:
- Withdrawal of the whip — The most severe sanction. An MP who has the whip withdrawn is expelled from the parliamentary party and sits as an independent. This damages their electoral prospects and access to party resources. Boris Johnson withdrew the whip from 21 Conservative MPs in September 2019.
- Deselection — The threat that the local party will choose a different candidate at the next election.
- Denial of preferment — Rebellious MPs may be passed over for promotion.
- Social pressure — Whips are sometimes described as having "the black book" — knowledge of MPs' private lives that can be used as leverage (though this is more folklore than documented practice).
Why Party Discipline Matters
For the Government
- Passing legislation — The government relies on its majority to pass bills. Without party discipline, even routine legislation could fail.
- Stability — A disciplined parliamentary party signals to the public and the markets that the government is in control.
- Mandate delivery — Party discipline ensures the government can implement the manifesto programme that voters endorsed.
For the Opposition
- Credibility — A united opposition is more credible as an alternative government.
- Effective scrutiny — Coordinated opposition strategy can more effectively challenge the government.
Criticisms of Party Discipline
- Undermines MP independence — If MPs always vote with the party, they are not acting as independent representatives or trustees (as Edmund Burke argued they should).
- Reduces scrutiny — Whipped votes mean the government can push legislation through without genuine debate or amendment.
- "Lobby fodder" — Critics describe whipped MPs as "lobby fodder" — voting machines who go through the division lobbies without thought.
- Stifles dissent — MPs may hold back legitimate criticisms for fear of losing the whip or damaging their career prospects.
- Democratic deficit — If MPs represent their party rather than their constituents, the representative function of Parliament is weakened.
Backbench Rebellions
Despite the whip system, backbench rebellions — when MPs vote against their party — have become more common and more consequential in recent decades.