The
Chief Whip of the Labour Party oversees the
whipping system in the party, which is responsible for ensuring that
Labour MPs or
members of the House of Lords attend and vote in
parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
in the desired way of the
party leadership. Chief Whips, of which two are appointed in the party, a member of the House of Commons and a member of the House of Lords, also help to organise their party's contribution to parliamentary business. The Chief Whip manages a team of whips, who they may appoint from the
Parliamentary Labour Party
In UK politics, the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) is the parliamentary group of the Labour Party in Parliament, i.e. Labour MPs as a collective body. Commentators on the British Constitution sometimes draw a distinction between the Labour ...
, to support the work of the whips’ office.
The party leadership may allow members to have a
free vote
A conscience vote or free vote is a type of vote in a legislative body where legislators are allowed to vote according to their own personal conscience rather than according to an official line set down by their political party. In a parliamentary ...
, based on their own decision, rather than party policy, which means the chief whip is not required to influence the way members vote.
The role of Chief Whip is regarded as secretive, as the Whip is concerned with the discipline of their own party's Members of Parliament.
By convention, Chief Whips do not sign
early day motions or table questions to Ministers. Nor do they give media interviews in their capacity as whip.
This is a list of those people who have served as
Chief Whip of the
Labour Party in the
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...
.
House of Commons
Current Deputy Chief Whip
*
Lilian Greenwood
House of Lords
Deputy Chief Whip
See also
*
Chief Whip of the Conservative Party
The Chief Whip of the Conservative Party oversees the whipping system in the party, which is responsible for ensuring that Conservative MPs or members of the House of Lords attend and vote in parliament in the desired way of the party leadership ...
*
Chief Whip of the Liberal Democrats
The Chief Whip of the Liberal Democrats is responsible for administering the whipping system in the party which ensures that members attend and vote in parliament when the party leadership requires a majority vote. Whips, of which two are appoin ...
References
* Chris Cook and Brendan Keith, ''British Historical Facts 1830-1900'', Macmillan, 1975
* David Butler and Gareth Butler, ''Twentieth-Century British Historical Facts 1900-2000'', Macmillan, 2000
{{UK Labour Party
Organisation of the Labour Party (UK)
Political whips