A whip is a party official in Parliament or legislatures responsible for ensuring party members attend votes and vote according to party positions. Each recognized party has a whip who tracks member whereabouts, arranges pairing (agreements between parties when members must be absent), communicates voting expectations, and manages the logistics of party discipline. Whips enforce party cohesion—members voting against their party face consequences ranging from mild disapproval to removal from committees or caucus. The term derives from British fox hunting where whippers-in kept hounds together. While whips maintain party discipline that enables parliamentary functioning, critics argue excessive whipping limits individual MP representation of constituents. Some votes are designated 'free votes' where party discipline doesn't apply, allowing members to vote their conscience.