Definition

Noun: 1. A legislator appointed by a political party to enforce discipline among its members in a legislative body: The "party whip" is a specific member of a political party, typically in a parliament or congress, whose official role is to ensure that other members of the party vote according to the party's official position on legislative matters. This involves communication, persuasion, and maintaining voting discipline.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The party whip worked to ensure all members were present for the crucial vote.
  • Before the debate, the party whip informed members of the party's official stance on the bill.
  • Rebelling against the party whip can sometimes result in disciplinary action.

Advanced Usage

• "Chief Whip" or "Senior Whip": Refers to the head whip of a party, who is part of the party's senior leadership team and manages the whipping system.
  • The Chief Whip met with the Prime Minister to discuss the week's voting schedule.
• "To whip a vote": The action performed by the whip, meaning to organize and secure votes from party members.
  • The leadership is whipping the vote on the budget, demanding full attendance.

Variants and Related Words

• The Whip Office: The administrative office that supports the work of the whips.
• A three-line whip: (Idiomatic, derived from the role) The strongest possible instruction from party leadership for members to attend and vote in a particular way, often implying serious consequences for disobedience. (Weaker instructions are a "two-line whip" or "one-line whip").
  • The party issued a three-line whip for the confidence motion.

Synonyms

• Party enforcer (informal): Emphasizes the disciplinary aspect of the role.
• Floor leader (context-dependent, especially in US politics): While similar, a floor leader often has a broader strategic role beyond strict discipline.

Related Phrases

• "To lose the whip": An idiom meaning a legislator has been expelled from their parliamentary party, often for defying the whip's instructions. They then sit as an independent.
  • After voting against the party, the MP lost the whip.

Noun

1. a legislator appointed by the party to enforce discipline