# Labour chief whip vows to enforce discipline despite Burnham’s pledge of change

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/labour-chief-whip-takes-tough-approach-in-vogue-interview-to-keeping-mps-in-line/
- Published: 2026-11-13T18:16:15+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-13T18:34:16+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/nov/13/labour-chief-whip-tough-approach-vogue-interview-mps-in-line-anneliese-midgley
- Topics: World

## Key points

- Midgley says she will be tough on party discipline.
- Burnham has promised a more collegiate approach to MPs.
- Her candid interview has surprised Labour colleagues.

## Summary

Anneliese Midgley, Labour’s chief whip, has said she will be uncompromising in enforcing party discipline, despite Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s pledge to make the whips’ office less intimidating. Her unusually candid Vogue interview has surprised some Labour MPs and raised questions about how far the promised change in parliamentary culture will go.

Midgley, the MP for Knowsley, previously worked for Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer and is a close ally of Burnham. She criticised Starmer’s treatment of MPs as “a number” to be marshalled through voting lobbies, while saying MPs should be treated with respect and their ideas heard. She described herself as determined to win, and said she would not tolerate being challenged, prompting one senior Labour MP to say her approach could still frighten the parliamentary party.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.