A three-line whip

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)