Some of you have asked about or commented on whipping in Parliament.
I support good whipping. It is personnel management to organise a government that can govern and a strong Opposition that can oppose.You cannot govern without the backing of a majority of MPs to help you put through measures and ward off No confidence motions . You should not be able to carry proposals in Parliament without satisfying most of your supporters of their wisdom.
Whips will inform MPs of when and how to back government proposals and take back to Ministers criticisms and suggestions for improvement. The MPs as the sales force for government policies have a say through feedback in the manufacture of the product.If a proposal is annoying a lot of MPs there will be meetings with the relevant Ministers. These can result in amendment or even dropping of the measures.
Politics is always a numbers game. It is no good an MP having all the right ideas if the majority will not support them.
In the Commons every day there is at least a one line whip saying your attendance is requested, with no requirement to vote. Many days are 3 line whips where your presence is required and your vote needed.You need to explain if you wish to be absent, abstain or vote against the whip. Whips have power to issue slips from votes. They usually agree if the MP is ill, has an important meeting to attend on government or constituency business or a family emergency. In extreme cases and key votes you could be subject to disciplinary processes . Loss of the whip is a sanction which would stop you being an official party candidate at the next election.
Whipping in the Lords is less intense. The Conservative whip is usually a two line where your attendance is encouraged. The importance of the guidance the whip offers is seen in recent votes as on Chagos where the government was defeated by combined action. I have accepted the Conservative whip and look forward to helping the official opposition in the Lords.
This site remains an independent site, not an official Conservative party one. That was also true when I was on the Commons Conservative whip.
February 12, 2026
Whips will inform MPs of when and how to back government proposals and take back to Ministers criticisms and suggestions for improvement.
In other words follow the leaders and party line and a big two fingers up to the people who put you in parliament, this as got to change ballocks to your party who ever you belong to , but to the people who put you there when they voted for you under your agenda when you were crawling and ringing your sweaty palms like Charles Dickens novel David Copperfields Uriah Heep asking for your vote