Anti terror vote is it a free vote

[Dom Tuk]

Is the vote by MPs tonight a free vote or are they under the party whip?

[Grunty]

Don't know, but if it is a free vote, it must be in name only. One cabinet minister has been brought back from Israel and another from Russia. Obviously a part of the reason is so that they can canvass the MPs that Blair thinks they have influence with.

[Loosehead]

No, it's fully whipped.

[Dom Tuk]

If under the whip then why was Blair asking MPs to vote with their conscience and fulfil their duties. Concsience does not come into the equation when under the whip.

[Loosehead]

Because he knows that despite the whip he might not have enough. A whip in force is not necessarily obeyed, there is only party politics to try and push an MP to vote one way or another. Concience is most of the equation when under the whip. If an MP feels strongly about one subject or other then they may well ignore the whip and go with their concience or they may toe the party line and ignore their concience in order to help the governement.

[surfer mike]

Do you think most conservatives voted their conscience..on this issue..