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The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.In British politics, when his or her party is in government the Chief Whip in the the House of Commons is usually appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury so the incumbent (representing the whips in general) has a seat and a voice in Cabinet.
As shown in Yes, Minister and House of Cards, the Chief Whip can wield a large amount of power over those in his or her party, up to and including Cabinet Ministers, being seen to speak at all times with the voice of the Prime Minister. Margaret Thatcher was famed for using her Chief Whip as a 'cabinet enforcer'.
In the House of Commons as of 2004, Hilary Armstrong is the Government Chief Whip and David MacleanThe Right Honourable David John MacLean (born May 16, 1953) is a United Kingdom politician, and Conservative member of Parliament for Penrith and The Border. He was elected to the Commons in a by-election in 1983, and served as a junior minister under Mar is the Opposition Chief Whip.
There are also Chief Whips in:
- AustraliaQueen of Australia Australia is a federation and a constitutional monarchy, with a written Constitution governing the relationship between the national government (usually referred to as the Commonwealth) and the states. The powers of the Commonwealth are
- CanadaSystem of government Canada is a constitutional monarchy as a Commonwealth Realm (see Monarchy in Canada) with a federal system of parliamentary government, and strong democratic traditions. Many of the country's legislative practices derive from the unwr
- IrelandThe Republic of Ireland is a sovereign, independent state. It is a representative democracy under a parliamentary system of government, with a president, prime minister and parliament. The capital city is Dublin. While there are a number of important poli
- New ZealandNew Zealand functions as a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government closely patterned on that of the United Kingdom. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, but actual government is conducted by a Prime Minister and Cabinet drawn
Government of the UK
