The Party Whip System

"There is no real democracy in Ireland while we have a whip system"
- Discuss


While people are elected to represent the people they can not do it when the party whip orders them to vote a certain way. Therefore they do not represent us.

Riskymove

its really the same wherever parties rule rather than individuals

besides you could argue that if you vote for a FF TD you are voting to be represented by FF rather than that TD as President or similar

Riskymove

Riskymove wrote: »

besides you could argue that if you vote for a FF TD you are voting to be represented by FF rather than that TD as President or similar

You are with the whip system hence the problem

Riskymove wrote: »

its really the same wherever parties rule rather than individuals

I saw in the US where the individual senators were voting whatever way they wanted on the bailouts. Their constituents were ringing them up and pressuring them to represent them. In the US they can vote whatever way they want - no whip system.

I think its a scam. We dont have a proper democracy here.

prinz

If you want an independant vote for one. You don't vote for FF/FG or whatever TD to then get into government and go against the policies that party stands for. The above poster was correct, this is our national parliament, who does business in the best interests of the state, not everyone pulling in different directions over their own constituencies.

TD's can still vote however they want you know!

stevenmu

I would agree with this, I'm very opposed to the whip system.

While on the one hand I know that much of the day to day stuff is actually hammered out in cross-party committees, it certainly appears that on the big headline issues are decided on by the elite at the top of the party and the lower ranks then have to fall in line. I can't think of any examples, but I'm sure there's been plenty of examples of TDs voting in line with the whip in issues where it seemed to go against the positions that they ran under.

I discussed this with someone else before who agreed that in theory the whip system is not ideal, but in argued that in reality it's needed to push votes through and that nothing would get done without it. But I'm an idealist at heart.

thebman

Yeah its one of the reasons you can't vote for the man or what he says in Irish politics. He is chained to the party. Only the independents are different and most of them sell their soles to get into power so your left with the Greens who if I'm correct allow their members to vote whatever way they want.

The only democratic party in Ireland and I can't vote for them because of their policies and the ones at the top have sold out

Riskymove

Deleted User wrote: »

I saw in the US where the individual senators were voting whatever way they wanted on the bailouts. Their constituents were ringing them up and pressuring them to represent them. In the US they can vote whatever way they want - no whip system.

its a different system, the legislature is seperate to the executive and gives more room for that sort of thing; here the executive controls the legislature

america is a very diverse country and certain states can have very "republican" Democrats and vice versa