Doom And Disgruntled Tories Are Costing Whips Control Of MPs

A sense of impending doom and loyalties fractured by a revolving door of prime ministers has left the Conservative party difficult for the party whips to govern, according to MPs who are growing increasingly frustrated with their unruly colleagues.

While recent rebellions from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s most vocal detractors gave way to a mercifully sedate recess period over Easter, the MPs tasked with keeping their party in line will once again be put to the test after voters go to the polls on 2 May for local elections. Expected to be bruising for the Tories, these elections taking place in councils and mayoralties across England are viewed as the next likely combustion point for Downing Street, with the potential loss of Conservative mayors Andy Street and Ben Houchen representing particularly high risks for Sunak. 

The whips’ office’s efficacy is now facing questions, with many Tory MPs wondering whether those without the heft of experience in its more junior ranks are simply out of their depth when confronted by such a volatile and disenfranchised party. 

“The churn does not help and they are inexperienced,” a junior minister remarked. 

The Chief Whip, a position currently held by MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Simon Hart, along with sixteen other MPs working in the whips’ office, is ostensibly responsible for ensuring MPs vote with Government to pass legislation in the House of Commons. Each whip has around 20-25 MPs on their watch, and also acts as Downing Street’s eyes and ears on the parliamentary Conservative party. They are assigned their own silver champagne goblet in the department, the size of the cup determined by the seniority. The least senior member of the Whips office has to pour the