A three-line whip.
Listening to the Radio (BBC Radio 4) just now I’ve discovered what this phrase
actually means / comes from: British Parliamentary procedure! Ex-MP Gyles Brandreth is interviewing people about
Persuasion – no, not the Jane Austen novel – but the art of persuasion. He recalls how when he was a Parliamentary Whip
he had to let MPs know if they had to be in the Chamber of the House (of
Commons) to vote. The instruction was either underlined with one line –
important – or two lines – very important – or, in extremis, three lines: Your presence in the House is absolutely
vital, and you MUST vote with the Government on this... And so this is a ‘three-line whip’!
BBC Radio 4, Saturday 31st March 2018, 10.30am: ‘Gyles
Brandreth and the Art of Persuasion’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09x8qfh
Interestingly, when I look this up online, I see,
repeatedly, that dictionaries give the actual meaning and use of the phrase ‘a
three-line whip’. But I don’t find it easy to find examples of the metaphorical
use. While I was growing up in the 1960s and 1970s a ‘three-line whip’ was a
common phrase to say that something was being strictly enforced. If my father
was repeatedly late for supper, for instance, my mother would say, “Don’t be
late again – this is a three-line whip, Ron!” So I am surprised online
dictionaries don’t seem to acknowledge this everyday usage. Maybe it’s fallen
out of everyday use... or maybe I’m simply getting old...!
‘In the UK a three-line whip is
an instruction given to Members of Parliament
by the leaders of their party telling them they must vote in
the way that the party wants them
to on a particular subject.’ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/three-line-whip
(accessed 10.58, 31.03.2018)
‘A single whip is simply a guideline, while a
double whip (or two line whip) is stricter - and attendance at
the vote is required. The three-line whip is a 'vote with the party
or get out'. The number of lines comes from the number of times that a vote is
underlined by the Chief Whip in the parliament's schedule.’ https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/11593/where-does-three-line-whip-come-from
(accessed 11.00 31.03.2018)
‘The Whip
Every week, whips send out a circular (called 'The Whip') to
their MPs or Lords detailing upcoming parliamentary business. Special attention
is paid to divisions (where members vote on debates), which are ranked in order
of importance by the number of times they are underlined.
Three-line whips
Important divisions [opportunities
for MPs to vote on the outcome of debates] are underlined three times - a
'three-line whip' - and normally apply to major events like the second readings
of significant Bills.
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.’
https://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/principal/whips/ (accessed 11.25, 31.03.2018)
So what is a ‘division’
in the UK Parliament?
‘In parliamentary procedure,
a division of the assembly, division of the house, or
simply division is a method for taking a better estimate of a vote
than a voice vote. Typically, a division is taken when the result of
a voice vote is challenged or when a two-thirds vote is required.’
In parliamentary procedure, a division
of the assembly, division of the house, or simply division is
a method for taking a
better estimate of a vote than a voice vote. Typically,
a division is taken when the result of a voice vote is challenged or when
a two-thirds vote is required.
A division is also called a rising vote, where members
stand up from their seats. According to Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised
(RONR), the numbers for and against are not counted in a division. However,
they may be counted by order of the chairman or
by order of the assembly through majority vote. The
assembly may also have a rule that the division is counted.
Historically, and often still today, members are literally
divided into physically separate groups. This was the method used in the Roman Senate,
and occasionally in Athenian democracy. Westminster system parliament chambers
have separate division lobbies for the "Ayes" and
"Noes" to facilitate physical division. In several assemblies,
a division bell is rung throughout the
building when a division is happening, in order to alert members not present in
the chamber.’
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_of_the_assembly
(accessed 11.13, 31.03.2018)
