Whip (politics)

Last updated

A whip is an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. This means ensuring that members of the party vote according to the party platform, rather than according to their own individual ideology or the will of their donors or constituents. Whips are the party's "enforcers". They work to ensure that their fellow political party legislators attend voting sessions and vote according to their party's official policy. Members who vote against party policy may "lose the whip", being effectively expelled from the party.

Contents

The term is taken from the "whipper-in" during a hunt, who tries to prevent hounds from wandering away from a hunting pack.

Additionally, the term "whip" may mean the voting instructions issued to legislators, [1] or the status of a certain legislator in their party's parliamentary grouping.

Etymology

The expression whip in its parliamentary context, derived from its origins in hunting terminology. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the term whipper-in as, "a huntsman's assistant who keeps the hounds from straying by driving them back with the whip into the main body of the pack". According to that dictionary, the first recorded use of the term whipper-in in the parliamentary sense occurs in 1772. However, P.D.G. Thomas in House of Commons in the Eighteenth Century cites two examples of the use of the term that pre-date 1772. [2]

It was within the context of such summonses to members out of town that the first known Parliamentary instance of the use of the term "whip" occurred. In the debate of 8 May 1769 on a petition from some Middlesex freeholders against the seating of Henry Luttrell instead of John Wilkes, Edmund Burke mentioned that the ministry had sent for their friends to the north and to Paris, "whipping them in, than which, he said, there could not be a better phrase". Although Burke's particular emphasis on the expression implied its comparative novelty, the hunting term had been used in this political context for at least a generation: on 18 November 1742 Heneage Finch remarked in a letter to Lord Malton that "the Whigs for once in their lives have whipped in better than the Tories".

In countries using the Westminster system

Australia

In the Parliament of Australia, as well as in the parliaments of the six states and two self-governing territories, major political parties have whips to ensure party discipline and carry out a variety of other functions on behalf of the party leadership. The most important function of the whip's office is to ensure that all members and senators are present to take part in votes in the chamber (maintaining quorum and preventing censure motions). [3] Unlike in the United Kingdom, Australian whips do not hold official office, but they are recognised for parliamentary purposes. In practice, Australian whips play a lesser role than their counterparts in the United Kingdom, as party discipline in Australia tends to be tighter. [4]

Their roles in the chamber include taking divisions, and maintaining a "pairs book" which controls the ability of members and senators to leave the parliament building during sittings, as well as the entitlement to be absent during divisions.

Liberal Party whips are appointed by the leader of the party, while Australian Labor Party whips are elected by the Caucus. For Labor and the Liberals, the chief whip is assisted by two deputy whips. [5]

Canada

In Canada the Party Whip is the member of a political party in the Canadian House of Commons, the Canadian Senate or a provincial legislature charged with ensuring party discipline among members of the caucus. In the House of Commons, the whip's office prepares and distributes vote sheets identifying the party position on each bill or motion. [6] The whip is also responsible for assigning offices and scheduling speakers from his or her party for various bills, motions and other proceedings in the House.

India

In India, the concept of the whip was inherited from colonial British rule. Every major political party appoints a whip who is responsible for the party's discipline and behaviours on the floor of the house. Usually, they direct the party members to stick to the party's stand on certain issues and directs them to vote as per the direction of senior party members. [7] [8] However, there are some cases such as Indian Presidential elections where whips cannot direct a Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) on whom to vote. [9] Should a whip's order be violated by a member of the same party, then the whip can recommend immediate dismissal of that member from the house due to indiscipline and the Speaker of the respective house can decide on the matter (without time limit). Should the whip choose not follow up on the violation his/her official whip order by own party member due to any reason, then any member of house can do so to the Speaker. [ citation needed ]

Ireland

Whips exist for all parliamentary parties in Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann. [10] The government chief whip is normally a Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, [11] and attends cabinet meetings. [12] The whips of each house meet weekly to set the agenda for the next week's business. [12] The Technical Group in the Dáil and the analogous Independent groups in the Seanad nominate whips to attend these meetings even though there is no party line for their whips to enforce. [13] Whips also coordinate pairing. [10] [12]

The timing of most votes are difficult to predict and TDs are expected to stay within earshot of the division bell at all times. All TDs are expected to vote with their party and to receive permission if they intend to be absent for a vote. Free votes are not a common feature of the Irish parliamentary tradition but they do happen on occasion, and there are calls for them to happen more often. For instance, Fianna Fáil usually allowed a free vote on abortion bills, as in the Protection of Human Life In Pregnancy Act. [14]

From 1998, whips and assistant whips may be entitled to an allowance on top of their base legislator's salary. [15] In 2011, these allowances varied proportional to the size of the group, with Fianna Fáil's Dáil whip's allowance the highest at €19,000. [16]

Malaysia

Party whips in Malaysia serve a similar role as in other Westminster system-based parliamentary democracies. However, party discipline tends to be tighter in Malaysia and therefore the role of the whip is generally less important, though its importance is heightened when the government majority is less in the lower house.

New Zealand

In New Zealand, the concept of the whip was inherited from British rule. All political parties that have four or more members in Parliament have at least one party whip, although Green Party whips are called musterers. [17] Parties with 25 to 44 members are allowed two whips (one senior and one junior), and parties with 45 or more members are entitled to three whips (one senior and two junior).

Whips act in an administrative role, making sure members of their party are in the debating chamber when required and organising members of their party to speak during debates. Since the introduction of proportional representation in 1996, divisions that require all members in the chamber to vote by taking sides (termed a personal vote) are rarely used, except for conscience votes. Instead, one of the party's whips votes on behalf of all the members of their party, by declaring how many members are in favour and/or how many members are opposed. They also cast proxy votes for single-member parties whose member is not in the chamber at the time of the vote, and also cast proxy votes during personal votes for absent members of their parties and for absent members of associated single-member parties.

United Kingdom

People

In British politics, the chief whip of the governing party in the House of Commons is customarily appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury so that the incumbent, who represents the whips in general, has a seat and a voice in the Cabinet. By virtue of holding the office of Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, the government chief whip has an official residence at 12 Downing Street, although the chief whip's office is currently located at 9 Downing Street. Government whips report to the prime minister on any possible backbench revolts and the general opinion of MPs within the party, and upon the exercise of the patronage, which is used to motivate and reward loyalty.

Instructions

In the sense of 'voting instructions', there are three categories of whip in British politics that are issued on particular business. An expressed instruction on how to vote could constitute a breach of parliamentary privilege, so the party's wishes are indicated unequivocally but indirectly. These whips are issued to MPs in the form of a letter outlining the parliamentary schedule, with a sentence such as "Your attendance is absolutely essential" next to each debate in which there will be a vote, underlined one, two or three times according to the severity of the whip:

  1. A single-line whip is a guide to what the party's policy would indicate, and notification of when the vote is expected to take place; this is non-binding for attendance or voting.
  2. A two-line or double-line whip is an instruction to attend and vote; partially binding for voting according to the party's position, attendance required unless prior permission given by the whip.
  3. A three-line whip is a strict instruction to attend and vote according to the party's position, breach of which would normally have serious consequences. Permission not to attend may be given by the whip, but a serious reason is needed. Breach of a three-line whip can lead to expulsion from the parliamentary political group in extreme circumstances, and even to expulsion from the party. Consequently, three-line whips are generally only issued on key issues, such as votes of confidence and supply.[ citation needed ] The nature of three-line whips and the potential punishments for revolt vary among parties and legislatures.

The role of whips is largely to ensure that MPs vote as required by the party leadership, i.e. to secure the government's business, and to protect the prime minister. Whips use a combination of threats and promises to secure compliance. A former chief whip said that there was a dividing line between legitimate and illegitimate persuasion: "Yes to threats on preferment (for government positions) and honours. No to abusing public money, such as threatening to withhold money from projects in the MP's constituency, and private lives." Former chief whips disclosed that whips have a notebook documenting MPs' indiscretions, and that they help MPs in any sort of trouble ("it might be debt, it might be ... a scandal involving small boys ...") in any way they can to "store up brownie points ... that sounds a pretty, pretty nasty reason, but it's one of the reasons because if we could get a chap out of trouble then he will do as we ask forever more." [18]

Having the whip withdrawn

Having the whip withdrawn means the MP is effectively expelled from their party. UK parties do not have the power to expel an MP from parliament, but can force the MP to sit as an independent and remove them from ministerial office.

"Losing the whip is seen by many as one of the strongest punishments a political party can dole out to its MPs. The move essentially expels the member from their party, meaning that while they can remain on the green benches, they have to sit as an independent MP. [19] "

"... severe punishment. The most severe is "having the whip withdrawn" - which means you are kicked out of the party within Parliament." [20]

"Defying a three-line whip is very serious, and has occasionally resulted in the whip being withdrawn from an MP or Lord. This means that the Member is effectively expelled from their party (but keeps their seat) and must sit as an independent until the whip is restored." [21]

In other countries

Italy

Most parliamentary groups in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic appoint a Segretario (Secretary) or Segretario d'Aula (Floor Secretary), who enforces party discipline in the same way a whip does in English-speaking nations. [22] The Minister for Parliamentary Relations also often performs a role similar to a whip, but works for the incumbent governing coalition as a whole rather than for a single specific party or parliamentary group.

Spain

In both houses of the Cortes Generales , the Spanish legislature, political parties appoint a member to the role of portavoz adjunto (deputy spokesperson), [23] which is the third authority of the parliamentary group after the leader and the spokesperson. The deputy spokesperson enforces party discipline in every vote, being thus the equivalent of a party whip in English-speaking countries. [24]

South Africa

Although South Africa uses a proportional representation system, the concept of a political party whip, which was inherited from colonial British rule, has been maintained. [25] [26]

In 2017, African National Congress secretary general Gwede Mantashe said "Voting according to conscience doesn't work in a political party system. We all get into the list of things and go to Parliament as parliamentarians of the ANC [...] There will be no voting against the ANC." [27]

Taiwan

Party whips exist in most of the major parties of the Legislative Yuan. For example, in the Democratic Progressive Party the party whip is the Caucus leader. In the Kuomintang the party whip is the executive director of the Policy Committee or the caucus leader.

When voting for critical bills, whips may issue a top-mobilization order asking members to attend the assembly. Party members failing to obey the order are suspended or expelled from the party. [28]

United States

In the United States there are legislatures at the local (city councils, town councils, county boards, etc.), state, and federal levels. The federal legislature (Congress), the legislatures in all states except for Nebraska, and many county and city legislative bodies are divided along party lines and have whips, as well as majority and minority leaders. The whip is also the assistant majority or assistant minority leader.

Both houses of Congress, the House of Representatives and Senate, have majority and minority whips. They in turn have subordinate "regional" whips. While members of Congress often vote along party lines, the influence of the whip is weaker than in the UK system; American politicians have considerably more freedom to diverge from the party line and vote according to their conscience or their constituents' preferences. One reason is that a considerable amount of money is raised by individual candidates. Furthermore, nobody, including members of Congress, can be expelled from a political party, which is formed simply by open registration. Because preselection of candidates for office is generally done through a primary election open to a wide number of voters, candidates who support their constituents' positions rather than those of their party leaders cannot easily be rejected by their party, due to a democratic mandate.

Because, unlike members of a parliament, members of Congress cannot serve simultaneously in Executive Branch positions, a whip in the United States cannot bargain for votes by promising promotion or threatening demotion in a sitting administration. There is, however, a highly structured committee system in both houses of Congress, and a whip may be able to offer promotion or threaten demotion within that system. In the House of Representatives, the influence of a single member individually is relatively small and therefore depends a great deal on the representative's seniority (i.e., in most cases, on the length of time they have held office).

In the Senate, the majority whip is the third-highest ranking individual in the majority party (the party with the most seats). The majority whip is outranked by the majority leader and, unofficially, the president pro tempore of the Senate. As the office of president pro tempore is largely honorific and usually given to the longest-serving senator of the majority, the majority whip is in reality the second-ranking senator in the majority conference. Similarly, in the House, the majority whip is outranked by both the majority leader and the speaker. Unlike the Senate's presiding officer, the Speaker is the leader of his or her party's caucus in the House.

In both the House and the Senate, the minority whip is the second highest-ranking individual in the minority party (the party with the lesser number of legislators in a legislative body), outranked only by the minority leader.

The whip position was created in the House of Representatives in 1897 by Republican Speaker Thomas Reed, who appointed James A. Tawney as the first whip. The first Democratic whip, Oscar Wilder Underwood, was appointed in about 1900. [29] [30] In the Senate, the position was created in 1913 by John W. Kern, chair of the Democratic caucus, when he appointed J. Hamilton Lewis as the first whip, while Republicans later chose James Wadsworth as the party's first in 1915. [31]

Michael Dobbs, formerly Chief of Staff for British Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, wrote a trilogy of books, centred around a fictional party whip named Francis Urquhart, which was dramatised and broadcast by the BBC between 1990 and 1995. The first book in the trilogy, titled House of Cards, was adapted into a television series of the same name, and the title was also used for subsequent series based on other countries' political systems. In House of Cards, Francis Urquhart is the chief whip for the UK Conservative Party and the trilogy charts his ambitious rise through his party's ranks until he becomes Prime Minister.

In the American remake of House of Cards , Frank Underwood is the House Majority Whip for the US Democratic Party. The series charts Underwood's ambitious rise through his party's ranks until he becomes president. The name Frank Underwood was chosen to have the same initials as the original trilogy's protagonist Francis Urquhart, and to reference Oscar Underwood, the first party whip for the US Democratic Party.[ citation needed ]

The song "Demolition Man" by The Police references party whips in the lyric "I'm a three-line whip, I'm the sort of thing they ban."

The Seinfeld episode "The Scofflaw" features a scene where Kramer explains that the term "whip" originated from the practice of physically whipping party members to force voting compliance. [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Commons of Canada</span> Lower house of the Canadian Parliament

The House of Commons of Canada is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Member of parliament</span> Representative of the voters to a parliament

A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members often have a different title. The terms congressman/congresswoman or deputy are equivalent terms used in other jurisdictions. The term parliamentarian is also sometimes used for members of parliament, but this may also be used to refer to unelected government officials with specific roles in a parliament and other expert advisers on parliamentary procedure such as the Senate parliamentarian in the United States. The term is also used to the characteristic of performing the duties of a member of a legislature, for example: "The two party leaders often disagreed on issues, but both were excellent parliamentarians and cooperated to get many good things done."

Party discipline is a system of political norms, rules and subsequent respective consequences for deviance that are designed to ensure the relative cohesion of members of the respective party group. In political parties specifically, the essential purpose of party discipline is to get all its parliamentary members to maintain the party line and vote in support of policies agreed to by a majority of the parliamentary members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Backbencher</span> Parliamentarian who neither holds ministerial office nor shadows a minister

In Westminster and other parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a member of parliament (MP) or a legislator who occupies no governmental office and is not a frontbench spokesperson in the Opposition, being instead simply a member of the "rank and file".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament of Finland</span> Supreme legislature of Finland

The Parliament of Finland is the unicameral and supreme legislature of Finland, founded on 9 May 1906. In accordance with the Constitution of Finland, sovereignty belongs to the people, and that power is vested in the Parliament. The Parliament consists of 200 members, 199 of whom are elected every four years from 13 multi-member districts electing 6 to 37 members using the proportional D'Hondt method. In addition, there is one member from Åland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand House of Representatives</span> Sole chamber of the New Zealand Parliament

The House of Representatives is the sole chamber of the New Zealand Parliament. The House passes laws, provides ministers to form Cabinet, and supervises the work of government. It is also responsible for adopting the state's budgets and approving the state's accounts.

A crossbencher is a minor party member of some legislatures, such as the British House of Lords and the Parliament of Australia. They take their name from the crossbenches, between and perpendicular to the government and opposition benches, where crossbenchers sit in the chamber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crossing the floor</span> Changing ones political allegiance while in office

In some parliamentary systems, politicians are said to cross the floor if they formally change their political affiliation to a political party different from the one they were initially elected under. In Australia though, this term simply refers to Members of Parliament (MPs) who dissent from the party line and vote against the express instructions of the party whip while retaining membership in their political party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speaker (politics)</span> Presiding officer of a legislative body

The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England.

The Chief Whip is a political leader whose task is to enforce the whipping system, which aims to ensure that legislators who are members of a political party attend and vote on legislation as the party leadership prescribes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jatiya Sangsad</span> Unicameral legislature of Bangladesh

The Jatiya Sangsad, often simply referred to as Sangsad and also known as the House of the Nation, is the supreme legislative body of Bangladesh. The current parliament of Bangladesh contains 350 seats, including 50 seats reserved exclusively for women. Elected occupants are called members of Parliament, or MPs. The 12th national parliamentary election was held on 7 January 2024. Elections to the body are held every five years, unless a parliament is dissolved earlier by the President of Bangladesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Council of Provinces</span> Upper house of the Parliament of South Africa

The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) is the upper house of the Parliament of South Africa under the (post-apartheid) constitution which came into full effect in 1997. It replaced the former Senate, but is very similar to that body, and to many other upper houses of legislatures throughout the world, in that its purpose is to represent the governments of the provinces, rather than directly representing the people.

An independent, non-partisan politician or non-affiliated politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent.

A parliamentary leader is a political title or a descriptive term used in various countries to designate the person leading a parliamentary group or caucus in a legislative body, whether it be a national or sub-national legislature. They are their party's most senior member of parliament (MP) in most parliamentary democracies.

In the Parliament of Malaysia, the political parties appoint party whips to ensure party discipline, help manage legislative business and carry out a variety of other functions on behalf of the party leadership. The most important function of a government party whip is to ensure that sufficient number of members and senators are present to take part in voting in the chamber, to maintain a parliamentary quorum and to prevent censure motions succeeding. Their roles in the chamber include taking divisions, and arranging pairs which affect the ability of members and senators to leave parliament during sittings, as well as the entitlement to be absent during divisions.

In a governmental system, a party leader acts as the official representative of their political party, either to a legislature or to the electorate. Depending on the country, the individual colloquially referred to as the "leader" of a political party may officially be party chair, secretary, or the highest political office.

In the Parliament of Australia, the political parties appoint party whips to ensure party discipline, help manage legislative business and carry out a variety of other functions on behalf of the party leadership. Additional functions of the government party whips is to ensure that a sufficient number of government members and senators are present in the chamber to ensure passage of government legislation and measures and to prevent censure motions succeeding, and to ensure presence of a parliamentary quorum. Their roles in the chamber include tally votes during divisions, and arranging pairs which affects the ability of members and senators to leave parliament during sittings, as well as the entitlement to be absent during divisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">27th South African Parliament</span> Parliament of South Africa, 2019–2024

The 27th South African Parliament was the sixth Parliament of South Africa to convene since the introduction of non-racial government in South Africa in 1994. It was elected in the general election of 8 May 2019 and consists of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. The National Assembly contains 400 members, while the National Council of Provinces contains 90 members. It was formally opened by President Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address in a joint sitting on 20 June 2019.

Mervyn Alexander Dirks is a South African politician who served as a Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature from June 2023 until February 2024. A former member of the African National Congress, he previously served as a member of the National Assembly from May 2014 to January 2023.

<i>Reform Act</i> (Canada) 2014 federal law on parliamentary reform

The Reform Act, 2014 is legislation enacted by the Parliament of Canada on June 23, 2015, that amended the Parliament of Canada Act, and the Canada Elections Act to increase the power and independence of MPs. The act was championed as a private members bill by Tory MP Michael Chong. It passed the House of Commons by a vote of 260–17 on February 25, 2015 and the Senate by a vote of 38–14, after attempts by Conservative Senators to kill the legislation failed.

References

  1. ↑ Pandiyan, M. Veera (May 14, 2006). How the term 'Whip' came to be used in Parliament. The Star (Malaysia) .
  2. ↑ House of Commons briefing note: The Whip's Office Doc ref. SN/PC/02829. Last updated 10 October 2008
  3. ↑ Parliamentary Education Office. Fact Sheet 36: The Party Whip Archived 24 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine .
  4. ↑ Parliament of Australia: Parliamentary Library. Free Votes in Australian and some Overseas Parliaments.
  5. ↑ "Fact Sheet – Party Whips". Parliamentary Education Office. Archived from the original on 19 May 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  6. ↑ Marland, Alex (2020). Whipped: Party Discipline in Canada. Vancouver: UBC Press. pp. 248–249. ISBN   9780774864978.
  7. ↑ "Derek O'Brien is TMC's Chief Whip in Rajya Sabha". Outlook India. 2 August 2012. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  8. ↑ "leaders and chief whips of recognised parties and groups in parliament (facilities) act, 1998" (PDF). Rajya Sabha Secretariat. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 July 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  9. ↑ "Issuing whips to MPs, MLAs in Presidential poll is an offence: EC". The Times of India. 10 July 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  10. 1 2 "Whips". Glossary. Dublin: Oireachtas. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  11. ↑ MacCarthaigh, Muiris (2008). Government in Modern Ireland. Institute of Public Administration. p. 37, fn.6. ISBN   978-1-904541-72-1 . Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  12. 1 2 3 MacCarthaigh, Muiris (2005). "How parliamentary accountability functions in Ireland". Accountability in Irish parliamentary politics. Institute of Public Administration. pp. 147–150. ISBN   978-1-904541-31-8 . Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  13. ↑ Murphy, Catherine (2 June 2011). Dáil Reform: Statements. Oireachtas. Vol. 734 No.2 p.6 c.250. Retrieved 21 February 2012. I act as the whip for the Technical Group even though there is no party line to be enforced.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  14. ↑ Ronan McGreevy (30 May 2013). "Fianna Fáil to allow free vote on forthcoming abortion legislation". The Irish Times.
  15. ↑ Oireachtas (Allowances To Members) and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Act, 1998 Irish Statute Book
  16. ↑ S.I. No. 347/2011 — Oireachtas (Allowances) (Members and Holders of Parliamentary and Certain Ministerial Offices) Order 2011 Irish Statute Book
  17. ↑ Donald, Rod (14 December 1999). "The Musterer replaces whips in the Green Party". Green Party of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013.
  18. ↑ Wintour, Patrick (21 January 2022). "The discreet art of whipping: what are the limits for parliament's enforcers?". The Guardian.
  19. ↑ "What does it mean for MPs to 'lose the whip' in Parliament?". Sky News. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  20. ↑ "What is removing the whip, filibustering and other Brexit jargon?". BBC News. 4 September 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  21. ↑ "Whips". UK Parliament. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  22. ↑ "Pd: Borghi, segretario d'Aula esperienza straordinaria, grazie". deputatiPD.it. 30 March 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  23. ↑ "Board of Party Spokespersons". Congress of Deputies .
  24. ↑ Carlos Manso (31 May 2017). "Guide to party discipline in the Congress of Deputies". ABC (Spain) .
  25. ↑ Parliamentary Monitoring Group. Structure of Government - Office bearers of legislative institutions Archived 19 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ↑ Chief Whips on Parliament Website
  27. ↑ Thulani Gqirana. "ANC MPs will toe party line in no confidence motion - chief whip". News24.
  28. ↑ Hsu, Crystal (2 April 2002). "Showdown looms over 'state of the nation' speech". Taipei Times.
  29. ↑ "Democratic Whips". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
  30. ↑ "History of the Whip". Office of the house majority whip. Archived from the original on 5 December 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  31. ↑ Gould, Lewis L. (2005). The Most Exclusive Club . Basic Books. pp.  57, 59. ISBN   978-0-465-02778-1.
  32. ↑ "Whip". YouTube .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.