Ian Dunt

Do you get that sort of nonsense in the UK?

Yeah, of course.

And then if you do it enough or as a result of having done it, you'll be made parliamentary private secretary.

And this is an extraordinary position because it's a position that means nothing, involves nothing.

You're not paid for it.

But it technically works.

puts you as part of the government operation.

You're essentially like a kind of secretarial function for ministers, including junior ministers.

You're not formally a minister.

You're just a sort of prefect of MPs.

And that allows the government to take basically half, usually about half of the parliamentary party to add like dozens and dozens more MPs and say, you're not allowed to vote against the whip.

Because you're technically part of the government.

We're not paying you.

You have no functions.

But you're technically part of the government.

So let alone, if there was any fear that any of these guys would think independently and be prepared to vote against their own government, in this case, they're no longer even allowed to do so because they've been so loyal that there's been a formalization of the relationship.

Well, for a start, in the most brutal way possible, which is that it doesn't count the votes.

So we ignore about two thirds of the votes in every election.

What do you mean?

First past the post, the only vote that counts is the votes for the winning candidate.