Once, most political whips swore by a code of omertà... 'The theory was that you never talked about what went on in the whips' office until your dying day, as though you worked at Bletchley Park.' ... But not anymore. Decades of silence have fostered intrigue, mythology and suspicions about whips' activities. From the benign to the integral, they continue to play a pivotal role in how Parliament functions and the lives of their fellow MPs. But while whips appear all-knowing and ever-present, are they still powerful? Charting eccentric traditions, colourful characters and their crucial role in recent British political history, The Usual Channels pulls back the curtain on one of Westminster's most notorious elements and explores whether whips still have the upper hand.