What is a chief whip? Meaning, who is current Tory chief whip, what do they do, and what is the salary

The Conservative Party’s whips office has been at the centre of the drama that has led to Boris Johnson’s downfall.

It was allegations of sexual assault against deputy chief whip Chris Pincher (which he has denied) and the Prime Minister’s reaction to those allegations that led to the spate of ministerial resignations which caused the collapse of the government.

Meanwhile, the chief whip was reportedly one of the key voices telling Boris Johnson to resign.

But what does the chief whip do - and why are they so important to political parties?

Here’s everything you need to know.

What is a whip?

As their name suggests, whips are MPs who act as the enforcers of political party discipline in Westminster.

Every party has one, and their job is to get their party’s MPs to vote with the party leadership - even if their personal beliefs conflict with the side of the argument they are voting for or against.

How the Conservative whips go about this role has been called into question of late, due to accusations of bullying - including threats to withdraw funding to particular MPs’ constituencies.

Whips enforce several different types of whip, depending on the importance of the vote at hand.

The number comes from how many times the vote has been underlined by the chief whip:

• A one-line whip means an MP doesn’t have to turn up to vote, but if they do they must vote with the party.
• A two-line whip means an MP has to have a good excuse not to turn up to vote with their party.
• A three-line whip means the MP has to turn up to vote or they could be kicked out of the party, which is known as ‘losing the whip’.

Sometimes, if the vote is on a matter of conscience - like euthanasia - no whip will be enforced, meaning MPs are allowed to vote as they see fit.

They must also cajole as many of their party as possible to turn up for key votes - something which is particularly key when a government has a small majority or it’s a hung Parliament.

Whips will then act as ‘tellers’ during votes - i.e. they count how many MPs have voted.

As well as communicating the party line to MPs, they also act as a conduit of information in the other direction - telling their leaders whether or not a particular policy is going down well within the party ranks and who opponents to it are.

On top of these roles, the whips also have to be in contact with the whipping operations of other parties to make Parliamentary business as efficient as possible.

Between them they will also organise ‘pairing’, which is when parties agree to sub out MPs from a vote if their opponent’s MPs cannot turn up due to illness or Parliamentary business (such as a select committee hearing).

What is a chief whip?

The chief whip - also known as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury if they are in the party of government - is in charge of the whipping operation, and usually sits in on Cabinet meetings.

They act as the Prime Minister’s eyes and ears and set out how MPs should vote during the Parliamentary timetable.

But the role is also (unofficially) a pastoral one, meaning the chief whip and his deputies have a role in safeguarding the health and welfare of their MPs.

This was part of the reason why Chris Pincher’s conduct, and the sexual misconduct allegations made against him over a period of several years (claims he has denied), have been so controversial.

Usually, the chief whip is in charge of a team of around 12 whips.

All whips earn a ministerial salary on top of their pay for being an MP.

Who is the Tory chief whip?

The current Conservative Party chief whip is Chris Heaton-Harris.

The MP for Daventry has held the position since February 2022, when his predecessor Mark Spencer was promoted to become the Leader of the House of Commons by Boris Johnson.

Previously, politicians like Michael Gove and Gavin Williamson have performed the role for the Tories.

The latter was famed for keeping his pet tarantula Cronus in a glass box on his desk with the apparent intention of intimidating rogue Conservative MPs.

It is often said that chief whips ‘know where the bodies are buried’ - i.e. they know the secrets of the MPs in their party.

They are also in touch with what the party is thinking, which can make them an asset to their leaders - or a troublesome opponent if they fall out and are relegated to the backbenches.