Usual Channels

Once, political whips swore by a code of omertà? 'The theory was that you never discussed what went on in the whips' office until your dying day, as though you worked at Bletchley Park.' ? But not any more. Though decades of silence have fostered intrigue, mythology and suspicion about their activities, the whips' office has long played a crucial role in Westminster, greasing the parliamentary machine and keeping rebellious MPs in check. But while whips appear all-knowing and ever-present, are they still all-powerful? The Usual Channels pulls back the curtain on one of Westminster's most notorious elements and explores whether whips still have the upper hand. Charting eccentric traditions and colourful characters, this authoritative guide is not only an insight into the workings of a crucial institution; it is also a masterclass in the past fifty years of British political history.