The Usual Channels by Sebastian Whale COMING 21 JAN 2025

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21 January 2025

“It’s like the Society of Jesus in the eighteenth century,”
said one former party whip. “You show them the Bible but
also the instruments of torture.”
Shrouded in mystery, political whips play a pivotal role in
the functioning of the UK’s democracy. But rumours
abound about the tactics used behind the scenes to urge
MPs to vote in the desired division lobbies. As politicians
find refuge on social media and parliamentary black arts
come under the spotlight, do whips still hold the upper
hand?
The Unusual Channels pulls back the curtain on one of
Westminster’s most notorious and curious elements: the
inner workings of the whips’ office. It shows us the
mechanics of the whips’ office; how it operates; who’s in it;
the different forms of whipping, both positive and
negative; the history and importance of whips; and some
of the notorious characters who have held the position.