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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Ben Glaze

Who are the government whips and what is their role in parliament?

Whips are responsible for making sure as many as possible of their party’s MPs vote the way the party wants.

Here are six of the 17 government whips charged with keeping colleagues in line.

None is accused of any wrongdoing.

Chief Whip Mark Spencer turned 52 today. He attended Colonel Frank Seely School, Nottingham, now an academy. MP for Sherwood, Notts.

A sturdy local farmer who is the PM’s lead enforcer in Parliament.

David TC Davies , 51, went to comprehensive Bassaleg School, Newport. He is MP for Monmouth. Welshman was known as the “Tory Tornado” when he used to do “white collar boxing”.

David TC Davies is MP for Monmouth (Hadyn Iball / North Wales Live)

Scott Mann , 44, attended Wadebridge Secondary School, Cornwall. MP for North Cornwall. Cornishman best known for suggesting in 2019 that “every knife sold in the UK should have a GPs tracker fitted in the handle”.

James Morris , 54. Went to fee-charging Nottingham High School. MP for Halesowen and Rowley Regis, West Mids. Of steelworker stock, said to resemble Alan Rickman’s Professor Severus Snape in Harry Potter films.

Scott Mann is MP for North Cornwall (Cornish Guardian)
James Morris is MP for Halesowen and Rowley Regis, West Mids (Richard Townshend Photography)

Rebecca Harris , 54, was at private Bedales School, Hants. MP for Castle Point, Essex. One-time delivery driver for a publishing firm, she worked her way up to marketing director.

Alan Mak , 38, attended independent St Peter’s School, York. MP for Havant, Hants. First MP of Chinese origin in the Commons. Known for enthusiasm and loyalty to leader.

Alan Mak is MP for Havant, Hants (Supplied pic, free to use)

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