No, I don't mean the kind so frequently read about in the News of the World and which so often involves fancy dress, prostitutes and/or auto-erotic asphixiation.

I, of course, refer to the ridiculous system whereby the political parties force (whip) their member Members of Pariament to vote with the desires of their leaders rather than with their conscience, or even as their constituents might expect.

Why doesn't someone introduce a bill to make party political whipping illegal?  We all know it is a system more conducive of corruption than the daft expenses system which has recently been so fully exposed.  Any link between party political advancement and the adherence to the instructions of party leaders is inherently and obviously corrupt.  MPs are supposed to be our representatives not the stooges of the political hierarchy.  Any system which allows, let alone positively encourages, such corruption should have far greater scrutiny and should not be lawful.

If I was a head of industry and I said to my MP, if you vote so-and-so way in Parliament on my behalf, I'll make sure you get a nice job in my company and I'll also guarantee that you get selected too, for the next election, I would be quite rightly villified for it and prosecuted for corruption.  What is the difference if a party leadership makes the same demand?

Douglas Carswell is preparing a bill by which the right to an Open Primary would become ours.  He says this will diminish the power of the whips.  We need to be a whole lot more direct about it.  Make party political whipping illegal.