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Difference between revisions of "Dirt book (United Kingdom)"
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It is important to note that the phrase ‘dirt book’ is not used by whips themselves or indeed parliamentarians in general (Brandreth 2016<ref>Brandreth, G. 2016. Private telephone conversation with author, 7 July</ref>). Rather, the phrase was coined by the British media. Indeed, it can be argued that the very concept of a ‘dirt book’ is something of a misnomer and a media construct. This is because while whips do indeed gather and record information on their party’s MPs, only a very small proportion of it could be considered ‘dirt’ (''ibid. ''). Brandreth suggests that a more accurate term would be ‘whips’ notes’, comparing their actual function to the kind of records an HR department might keep on its employees, but more informal and subjective in nature. Any background information that might help the whips to understand and influence an MP’s behaviour would be recorded, such as off-the-cuff expressions of opinion; their hopes and ambitions; or any personal problems such as marital difficulties or alcohol abuse (''ibid. ''). | It is important to note that the phrase ‘dirt book’ is not used by whips themselves or indeed parliamentarians in general (Brandreth 2016<ref>Brandreth, G. 2016. Private telephone conversation with author, 7 July</ref>). Rather, the phrase was coined by the British media. Indeed, it can be argued that the very concept of a ‘dirt book’ is something of a misnomer and a media construct. This is because while whips do indeed gather and record information on their party’s MPs, only a very small proportion of it could be considered ‘dirt’ (''ibid. ''). Brandreth suggests that a more accurate term would be ‘whips’ notes’, comparing their actual function to the kind of records an HR department might keep on its employees, but more informal and subjective in nature. Any background information that might help the whips to understand and influence an MP’s behaviour would be recorded, such as off-the-cuff expressions of opinion; their hopes and ambitions; or any personal problems such as marital difficulties or alcohol abuse (''ibid. ''). | ||
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To appreciate how the ‘dirt book’ operated it is important to understand the role of whips in the UK parliament. Whips are members of parliament responsible for organising their party’s parliamentary business, in particular ensuring that their members vote according to the party line. The term ‘whip’ is a shortened form of ‘whipper-in’, a hunting term that refers to the huntsman who keeps the hounds hunting as a pack and rounds up any strays (Cockerell 1995<ref>Cockerell, M. 1995. ‘Westminster’s Secret Service’, ''Spectator'', 19 May: 11. Reproduced at: http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/20th-may-1995/11/westminsters-secret-service</ref>). Despite not formally being a member of the Cabinet, the government’s chief whip attends Cabinet meetings and meets frequently with the prime minister, both officially and unofficially. The Whips' Office thus acts as ‘a two-way conduit between the leadership and the backbenchers’ (''ibid.''). | |||
The whips’ role became increasingly professionalised in the late 1950s and early 1960s, partly due to the leadership of Edward Heath who served as chief whip 1956-59. Heath ‘systematically gathered information about every member of the party, and developed the art of using this to maximum advantage’ (Shell 1995<ref>Shell, D. 1995. ‘Prime Ministers and their Parties’, in Shell, D. and Hodder-Williams, R., ''Churchill to Major: The British Prime Ministership Since 1945'' (New York: M. E. Sharpe) </ref>). It is at this time that the practice of the dirt book is said to have emerged, although whether such a book actually existed is unclear. When the Labour Party came to power in 1964 after thirteen years of Conservative rule, the new Labour chief whip Edward Short found that it ‘had been the practice to keep a “dirt book” in which unsavoury personal items about members were recorded’, a practice he immediately ordered to be discontinued (ibid.). However, Shell suggests that this may not be sufficient evidence for the actual existence of a dirt book, stating that, ‘it is probable that such stories arose simply out of the thoroughness with which Heath and his successors had gathered information’ (''ibid''.). | |||
Between the 1960s and the 1990s, physical books were certainly in existence, as numerous ex-whips have given quite specific details about them (Baker et al 1993: 153<ref>Baker, D., Gamble, A., Ludlam, S. 1993. ‘Whips or Scorpions? The Maastricht Vote and the Conservative Party’, Parliamentary Affairs 46 (2): 151-166</ref>; Cockerell 1995<ref>Cockerell, M. 1995. ‘Westminster’s Secret Service’, Spectator, 19 May: 11. Reproduced at: http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/20th-may-1995/11/westminsters-secret-service</ref>; BBC 1995<ref>BBC. 1995. ‘Westminster’s Secret Service: The Whips’ Office’, TV documentary, BBC 2, 21 May 1995</ref>; Gibbon 2014<ref>Gibbon, G. 2014. ‘The dirt on the whips’ ‘dirt book’’, Channel 4 News, 8 July, http://blogs.channel4.com/gary-gibbon-on-politics/dirt-dirt-book/28700</ref>; Brandreth 2016<ref>Brandreth, G. 2016. Private telephone conversation with author, 7 July</ref>). Lord Whitelaw (Conservative Party Chief Whip 1964-70) described them as, ‘just a little book where you wrote down various things you knew or heard about people’ (BBC 1995<ref>BBC. 1995. ‘Westminster’s Secret Service: The Whips’ Office’, TV documentary, BBC 2, 21 May 1995</ref>). Under the successive Conservative administrations of 1979-1997, it is said that the ‘dirt books’ were A5 hardback exercise books that were bought in bulk, with the Whips’ Office consuming on average a book a week. They were kept in a metal safe in the Whips’ Office (Gibbon 2014<ref>Gibbon, G. 2014. ‘The dirt on the whips’ ‘dirt book’’, Channel 4 News, 8 July, http://blogs.channel4.com/gary-gibbon-on-politics/dirt-dirt-book/28700</ref>; Brandreth 2016<ref>Brandreth, G. 2016. Private telephone conversation with author, 7 July</ref>). Recording information in the books was a collaborative exercise: a whip would briefly take the book from the safe to write down any information they had gathered so that it could be shared by the whole whips’ team. Once a week the top sheet of the carbon copy was torn off and passed to the chief whip, who would pass any information he deemed relevant to the prime minister (Brandreth 2016<ref>Brandreth, G. 2016. Private telephone conversation with author, 7 July</ref>). | |||
A related practice was the fabled ''‘shits’ list’''. Non-compliant and rebellious MPs are colloquially referred to by whips as ‘shits’. According to Rupert Allason (Conservative MP 1987-97), the shits’ list was written on a blackboard with a curtain across it in the Whips’ Office. Allason stated that a whip revealed the shits’ list to him in order to demonstrate that he had not yet been placed on it (Cockerell 1995<ref>Cockerell, M. 1995. ‘Westminster’s Secret Service’, ''Spectator'', 19 May: 11. Reproduced at: http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/20th-may-1995/11/westminsters-secret-service</ref>). | |||
It is unclear to what extent information gathered by whips has been used to blackmail MPs into voting a particular way. Indeed, this may vary over time depending on the government’s situation and the personalities of the individual whips holding office. Tim Fortescue, for example, implied that veiled threats to release compromising information were made: ‘When you are trying to persuade a member that he should vote the way he didn't want to vote on a controversial issue – which is part of your job – it is possible to suggest that perhaps it would not be in his interest if people knew “something-or-other” – very mildly' (BBC 1995<ref>BBC. 1995. ‘Westminster’s Secret Service: The Whips’ Office’, TV documentary, BBC 2, 21 May 1995</ref>). But another former whip stated that, ‘the blackmail tactic is rarely used. Possible targets might be near retirement, or have no further prospects of advancement’ (Baker et al 1993: 153<ref>Baker, D., Gamble, A., Ludlam, S. 1993. ‘Whips or Scorpions? The Maastricht Vote and the Conservative Party’, '' Parliamentary Affairs'' 46 (2): 151-166</ref>). Stephen Dorrell (Conservative Party whip 1987- 90) suggested that the use of ‘dirt’ was to a large extent a bluff or ‘confidence trick’, since 'most whips know rather less about their colleagues' lives than their colleagues might think' (BBC 1995<ref>BBC. 1995. ‘Westminster’s Secret Service: The Whips’ Office’, TV documentary, BBC 2, 21 May 1995</ref>). | It is unclear to what extent information gathered by whips has been used to blackmail MPs into voting a particular way. Indeed, this may vary over time depending on the government’s situation and the personalities of the individual whips holding office. Tim Fortescue, for example, implied that veiled threats to release compromising information were made: ‘When you are trying to persuade a member that he should vote the way he didn't want to vote on a controversial issue – which is part of your job – it is possible to suggest that perhaps it would not be in his interest if people knew “something-or-other” – very mildly' (BBC 1995<ref>BBC. 1995. ‘Westminster’s Secret Service: The Whips’ Office’, TV documentary, BBC 2, 21 May 1995</ref>). But another former whip stated that, ‘the blackmail tactic is rarely used. Possible targets might be near retirement, or have no further prospects of advancement’ (Baker et al 1993: 153<ref>Baker, D., Gamble, A., Ludlam, S. 1993. ‘Whips or Scorpions? The Maastricht Vote and the Conservative Party’, '' Parliamentary Affairs'' 46 (2): 151-166</ref>). Stephen Dorrell (Conservative Party whip 1987- 90) suggested that the use of ‘dirt’ was to a large extent a bluff or ‘confidence trick’, since 'most whips know rather less about their colleagues' lives than their colleagues might think' (BBC 1995<ref>BBC. 1995. ‘Westminster’s Secret Service: The Whips’ Office’, TV documentary, BBC 2, 21 May 1995</ref>). | ||