Chief Whip Puts Jim In His Place | Yes Minister | BBC Comedy Greats

Jim is feeling conflicted about the Government's sales of arms, so seeks the Prime Minister's advice only to be met with a rather aggressive roadblock.
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#Comedy #YesMinister

[@jkolorath]

"We must all hang together, or else we will all be hanged separately."😆

[@davedraycott5779]

Benjamin Franklin

[@michaeljames4904]

_carrot, stick, carrot, stick…_ a superb depiction of how the Whips operate

[@davidjordan9759]

He makes Humphrey look like a liberal humanitarian.

[@petergreen5337]

Absolutely CORRECT. But government is like that.

[@r.c.auclair2042]

He’s a Whip. This is what Whips do. They’re the guys who make sure party representatives do what their leaders want them to do. And they threaten, persuade, cajole, placate, & do whatever else they have to do to see that happens. And God bless them, too. My country’s government’s deadlocked because it can’t keep a Speaker of the House. Without that, our government’s going to shut down in less than a month because we don’t have a budget to keep it going. No money for services, soldiers, humanitarian aid, or anything else. All because nobody can get the stupid racist conservatives to agree on a leader.

[@LordDaret]

@@r.c.auclair2042racist? That certainly shows that you live in an echo chamber.

[@r.c.auclair2042]

@@LordDaret, no, it shows how everything Republicans do it racist. When they say “make America great again”, it implies a return to a period when they thought things were great…as in before women had rights (so they reversed Roe) and before minorities could vote (so they gerrymander, purge the voting rolls, move polling places, and suppress turnout.). You use words like “echo chamber” because you’re a mindless racist repeating whatever you’re taught to say like a parrot. But sure “Lord Daret”, who dreams of owning people so badly that he posts on KZbin with a fake name like a coward and dreams of joining the insurrection.

[@jorenvanderark3567]

​@LordDaret It shows that he lives anywhere that isn't a cult invested sh*thole. Sincerely, the rest of the world that is following that existential dread inducing clown show you call congress.

[@salt1956]

An excellent Chief Whip! I'd be frightened of having to face him. He'd have no problem keeping discipline in the ranks.

[@danger2bananas]

He reminds me of my boarding school house master I saw him a couple years after I left school I was having a pint and cig he said Mr Weeks-Platt may I join you for a drink had a really good catch up but I was still afraid I'd got detention off him

[@thomasb.5643]

Good thing the Tory party has shitty whips. Imagine how much more damage they could do if Johnson and May were able to keep their mps disciplined...

[@dalemcilwain]

The American Democrats have God awful whips. Because the party is all over the place. They don't know if they want be in their party or be in the opposition camp.

[@Xochiyolotl]

@@dalemcilwain The Democratic Party has gotten far too sissified. It’s gotten to damn nice nice. They don’t dare make an omelette for fear of cracking eggs.

[@danieldickson8591]

This role in the party isn't called "Whip" just for laughs.

[@TheOneHistoryGuy]

This scene is probably one of the best examples of how YM & YPM is truly timeless where politics is concerned, which is saying something because almost everything about this show is still relevant today. It's well crafted and brilliantly acted by Paul Eddington and Edward Jewesbery as the Chief Whip and who stole the limelight in this scene (although Paul Eddington's priceless reactions enhance the dialogue). Jewesbery starts with politeness and lets Hacker tell him what's wrong, even though he's probably aware of why Hacker's there, before offering his opinion to 'hold it over'. When Hacker rebuffs this, the conversation shifts to how it can affect the government negatively if it came over before a sort of 'both sides' argument about legally sanctioned arms dealing and how 'we're all in this together.' Hacker tries to rebuff this, but the Chief Whip points out the practical effects: job losses in marginal seats, loss of government income. Then, there's the veiled threat ('are you happy in the Cabinet?') and then, when Hacker pushes one last time, he starts to lose his temper, or seems to, when he hits the table and lambasts Hacker for not thinking about the survival of the government & the PM's current position. Then, in a masterful stroke that takes the wind completely out of Hacker's sails, suggest that Hacker is being considered for promotion before sarcastically telling Hacker to go right ahead. By now, Hacker's at his mercy and recites the arguments made by Sir Humphrey earlier in the episode (Board of Trade problem etc) before agreeing to hold it over for now, exactly what the Chief Whip suggested at the start. The final smile and pat on the shoulder seals the deal: Hacker is back in the Chief Whip's good books...for now. It's such a great scene because, in one conversation, it shows why British politicians rightly fear the whips' office and also how to be an effective Chief Whip - when to be charming and polite, when to engage in debate and then shut it down when the facts don't cut it, when to make them quake in fear at your temper, how to use the carrot and stick effectively and how, in the end, you get people to do exactly what you, and your boss, wants them to do. It's also worth noting that the Chief Whip rarely says, 'you must do this', but merely suggests it or offers 'hypothetical suggestions like the inquiry or how it might embarrass the PM. Genius!

[@Unknown-jt1jo]

Great summary!

[@deojnwedofuWE]

I took a politics degree a long time ago, and I honestly think Yes Minister should be required viewing for that. It's a masterclass in the actual operations of both parliament and the civil service on top of the comedy. Absolutely timeless.

[@kylepearce-obrien1021]

That's the longest I've heard this show go without a laugh track. It was terrifyingly effective.

[@c2757]

As they didn't ever use laugh tracks presumably that is an oblique way of saying this is the longest clip of Yes Minister you have seen. Hmm. Four minutes seventeen seconds. Do you not like the program then?

[@saladspinner3200]

@@c2757 no need to bite his nose off, the man has a Point!

[@c2757]

​@@anon-kun5418 Actually you cannot hear a laugh track at 3:54 or anywhere else on this clip. Go figure.

[@daviddundas4140]

Its not a laugh track, its a live audience

[@philledwith8307]

What you're hearing there is the tension in the audience.

[@AnthonyMute]

Now I understand why they are called "whips". 😂

[@nygarmik]

Exactly what I thought :)

[@carnivaltym]

Hardest, men usually, in politics. They make enemies tho and tend not to rise to the very top politically, tho they certainly get the best corporate directorships after leaving Parliamentary life because they know where lots of bodies are buried!

[@mattwho81]

Centuries ago they used actual whips.

[@azh698]

*WHOOTCH!*

[@andrewbernard8752]

Francis Urquhart is a good example of whip also xd

[@esmeecampbell7396]

That's what really shows the quality of the writing in this show, it is easy to make your Whip funny and scary when you have them swearing all the time in ridiculous sentences nobody would ever be quick enough to come up with if it wasn't written over the span of days and carefully controlled so people only say stuff to set up witty put downs. The real skill is writing something to be funny AND forceful when you weren't allowed to use swear words, AND still have it be accurate to how the job really operates.

[@x--.]

A perfect scene, well played, well written and funny while tragic. Acting always so spot on with Yes, Minister.

[@oneteaminbristolbcfc]

Love her or hate her, thatcher once said that “yes minister and yes prime minister” were as close as real politics could get, apparently she watched it religiously!!!

[@saoirsedeltufo7436]

Well a broken clock is right twice a day...

[@the-chillian]

They had inside sources. Many episodes were loosely based on real events.

[@ocevicheband502]

Hollowed out the N.H.S. Did M.Thatcher. Even participated in some script/pantomime with P.M. JIM.HACKER. GUFFAW, GUFFAW and furthermore guffaw. So not amusing the horses arse.

[@oneteaminbristolbcfc]

@@ocevicheband502 absolutely agree my friend I frigging hated her, live in a shitty bedsit struggling to make ends meet while “yuppies” in the city making millions on the back of misery. My point is; yes minister and yes prime minister is a reflection on what was going on at the time!! The slimy Sir Humpfrie etc. With you all the way mate ✌️❤️

[@warweezil2802]

@@oneteaminbristolbcfc Was in the same place, then joined London Transport and watched a great organisation gutted in the name of private enterprise. This and the later “New Statesman” really had the politics nailed. I loved The Rt. Hon. Alan B’stard, he was so typically Tory it was totally believable, sometimes I wonder if Duncan-Smith modelled himself on it 😁😂

[@notroll1279]

These are the deliberations that usually lead to a Rhodesia solution...

[@Delightfully_Bitchy]

... Which only comes as after a "Rhodesia Situation".

[@leoncioco3305]

Can’t get enough of this show.😂🤣😂🤣👍👍👍👍

[@minimumeffort4948]

A behind the scenes documentary, cleverly disguised as a brilliant sitcom

[@critter30002001]

Like the Office?

[@minimumeffort4948]

@@critter30002001 Nah, The Office UK was funny but the cringe factor was turned all the way up, Yes Minister seems to be worryingly close to what really goes on

[@Cryptonymicus]

Well, it certainly portrays government in a light that a lot of people want to believe is accurate.

[@elmerofairo]

@@Cryptonymicus While it's obviously exaggerated for comedy there remains the fact that so many people directly involved in government attest to its accuracy. I have seen some go so far as to say it isn't even funny to them because it's so close

[@helipeek2736]

I thought I as watching the news!

[@votemonty1815]

Jim was whipped.

[@venkatramannarayanan915]

The chief whip "discharged " his duty.

[@MalkWilliams]

This never used to be *quite* this painful to watch! Genius!

[@m.anandacharyulu4271]

"Absolutely Not, Definitely Not, No, Sorry I mentioned It." GOOD MAN with a pat on the shoulder...awesome epic episode... so all are GOOD MEN right...

[@venkatramannarayanan915]

Yes, if they are "administered " Wisdom .

[@AudieHolland]

Goodfellas

[@io4439]

Was this video glitchy for anyone else?

[@MrBenzcdi]

Yes

[@johnking5174]

Did you set it at 1080p HD?

[@ColonelStraker]

The same thing happens in America, when someone is trying to tell the truth / expose a Democrat on TV.

[@sugarnads]

Nope

[@dr.akalanka6591]

@@ColonelStraker you must one of those QAnon nuts...

[@shawnkristoferu8303]

Jewesbery was the best PM Whip. He really whipped Hacker’s a$$. The Chief Whip, “They can’t kill that many people, can they?” I had difficulty writing it as I was laughing so much.

[@x--.]

Talk about a punch line!

[@ntatemohlomi2884]

"Either you are in the arms business or you are not." "Just because you have caught something nasty..." "Are you happy in the cabinet?" That captures why I chose to keep out of party politics.

[@TheNefastor]

That second line has a special ring in our pandemic times...

[@sugarnads]

Assuming anyone would be interested in voting for you

[@ntatemohlomi2884]

@@sugarnads yes yes that too

[@TheNefastor]

@@sugarnads people voted for trump. Anything is possible.

[@markfryer9880]

@@TheNefastor Yes, and just look at what that orange thing cost the world. He tried to stage a coup to stay in power and install himself as dictator. He had so many scandals that virtually no one could ever hope to keep up with them all. It will be years before all of the scandals see the light of day. He was Putin's little puppet and along with his family and friends very nearly destroyed America in 4 years.

[@tayetrotman]

Whenever I meet somebody who’s all naive about the dirty realities of politics, I sit them down and make them watch Yes Minister

[@Unknown-jt1jo]

People never watch the shows I recommend. You must be a person of considerable persuasive power.

[@yigon5412]

@@Unknown-jt1jo Or terrifyingly coercive power.

[@applejuice5272]

@@yigon5412 Or a secret Chief Whip

[@deadline93]

I love it cause unlike series like house of card that display extremly complex conspiracy and evil levels of goals it shows that poltics is vain, petty and often very mundane. Thats why i like it so much

[@tayetrotman]

@@applejuice5272 Yeah pretty much lol, I don’t give them a choice, I just put it on in front of them

[@أفلاكالأفكار]

And to think the 1st Earl of Chatham warned about the dangers of the Military Industrial Complex nearly 300 years ago and how we completely ignored his warning!

[@mstandenberg1421]

The right of function is pervasive throughout history in every culture. Those invested flex to keep it. It’s truly human nature.

[@j.johnson3520]

The enormous amount of knowledge the writers must've amassed over the years to produce such beautifully crafted work is truly a wonder to behold. No wonder they've never found replacements.

[@herseem]

Truly outstanding acting from Paul Eddington there showing the internal conflict in his speech, face and body language.

[@maddocpax788]

Stick, persuasion and carrot.

[@travishimebaugh8381]

Jeez, John Cleese's meaner older brother

[@EngPheniks]

the Chief Whip lashes

[@donwright3427]

Squirrels are everywhere

[@keithammleter3824]

Very apt, considering that Britain, having lost manufacturing of consumer electronics to better quality Japanese goods, propped up its major electronics companies by giving them generous military contracts.

[@pauloliver1842]

so relevant today

[@Martin3camels]

Edward Jewesbury... a fine actor.

[@darylcheshire1618]

Like “The Thick of it” where the PM’s fixer is Malcolm Tucker who swears a lot and suggests people resign, Apparently modelled after Tony Blair’s fixer (whatisname).

[@Mr18081964]

Thank you for having subtitle

[@mellowfellow6816]

That's why he's the Chief Whip

[@THINKincessantly]

I♥️Jim Hacker 😆

[@crypticTV]

0:32 Italy terrorist 1:15 Syria Iran 1:40 military industrial complex 2:18 morals Vs UK government

[@derlenx1097]

This is scary, Theres nothing worse then when you use your powers for evil.

[@ocevicheband502]

Do not accept.

[@forgivemenot1]

What is even more scary is when you can no longer tell good from evil.

[@blabli5241]

@@forgivemenot1 good and evil is childish world view. Whats good for one is just bad for another one.

[@dorkangel1076]

@@blabli5241 Spoken like a chief whip...

[@az-wr1lb]

yes prime minister: the brexit era. writers aren't even needed, darth boris plays the part effortlessly

[@bsimpson6204]

Honest Jim bought with a half promise of promotion

[@mstandenberg1421]

The carrot and the stick. It works eventually on everybody.

[@handlaidtracksand3dprinted922]

But Jim played ball and gets to be PM - never would have made it otherwise. Backs don't scratch themselves...

[@NewhamMatt]

@@handlaidtracksand3dprinted922 The point of Party Games was that Hacker all but fell into the prime ministership when the PM and Deputy PM resigned and Humphrey managed to (through Hacker) blackmail the frontrunners into dropping out. He basically got the job because Humphrey and Sir Arnold considered him a useful idiot.

[@TheRip72]

@@NewhamMatt Useful idiot? Another similarity to the real UK government.

[@Blackwater_House]

“You’ve Heard something”. Now what Proof do you have, that what you’ve Heard is True or are you just being a Rumourmonger? And what, if what you’ve Heard is Not True, What then, where is your Reputation then?

[@robertguildford]

The interesting question the whip raised regarding ministers consciouces. 1981, private members bill to bring back hanging. The day of the vote in parliment Willie Whitelaw ( Deputy Prime Minister) was interviewed outside his constituency HQ by national TV. During the televised interview WW was surrounded by placard waving pro-capital punishment lobbyists. I have not forgotten his exact words when asked how he would be voting." I can not possibly vote for hanging its against my conscious". Therein lies a fundemental question for all voters. Do you elect a politician to exercise their conscious as they see fit in voting. Alternatively, are they tools to be wielded by hand of those who elected them ? It is an impotant question for all voters to ask themselves. It might be a good question to pose next time people coming knocking on your door asking you to vote for them.

[@dc-4ever201]

I have to admit I do love a good Political sitcom they are more accurate than people think. I really loved "The Thick of it" cracked me up.

[@jeromefitzroy]

Regardless of party, they are going to cover each other asses when it's on the line

[@dalemcilwain]

This show transcends to American politics.

[@jimjiminyjaroo300]

I feel our political fates are very closely intertwined my brother. My best wishes to you and your family.

[@MrGengad]

isn't that todays reality? selling weapon to terrorist countries like Israel, who shelling innocent children and women, and then they come around and trying to teach us the morals duties about the world we living in.

[@TheRip72]

One of the writers of Yes, Minister went on to direct the Eddie Murphy file 'The Distinguished Gentleman'. It should be no surprise that it is also about political corruption.

[@dalemcilwain]

@@TheRip72 I wouldn't dare say that, Yes, Minister is about corrupt politics and politicians. It shed light to all politics. Sir Humphrey taught the minister the complexity of politics. We (The viewers) had an education on that subject.

[@slaneyside]

dominic cumstains main inspiration

[@beachbum4691]

The problem is that this series is called the BBC Comedy Greats?., The reality of course is it should be called the BBC's "Comedy Eternals", the content seemingly becoming ever more "up-to-date" with every passing decade?.

[@alessandrogiovannone3742]

This makes me sad

[@THINKincessantly]

I thought this guy playing the Whip was Desmond Glazebrook

[@matthewgreen6257]

No, that was Richard Vernon. The Chief Whip was played by Edward Jewesbury. He also appeared in Blackadder, the 'Bells' episode, playing Bob's decrepit father.

[@JokeShinet]

That's a how you convince someone. Not saying stuff like I'm right, you are wrong

[@ocevicheband502]

Gladio/C.I.A. not amusing in the least. Nyet .

[@akpowarri3504]

The Chief Whip is now that person who goes around labeling moral people WOKE! The protogammon.

[@geordiejones2]

Sad thing is this really goes on i suspect.

[@Azraiel213]

Collectivism in a nutshell. 🤣

[@RobertFranklin-of3ow]

Egotistic liars, deceivers, and blatant hypocrites sums up the average politician.

[@zico739]

The Chief Whip is right.

[@thevoxdeus]

No, he really isn't. But he's resolute, and Hacker isn't. He acts as if he believes his BS, whereas Hacker clearly doesn't believe his own BS.

[@robertfranklin8704]

Working definition of a politician= obvious liar, deceiver, hypocrite, and a third-rate actor.

[@draganminic4928]

This scene demonstrates that there is no difference between the terrorist groups and NATO governments.

[@509Gman]

In many ways, the terrorist groups are more honest

[@ThePurple1968]

terrorists target civilians. nato governments (however they are) dont. thats the moral difference. its quite easy to see

[@draganminic4928]

@@ThePurple1968 please google before commenting. E.g., 183,535 "civilian deaths from violence" in Iraq war. In compatioson to this, terrorist groups are salvation army.

[@mstandenberg1421]

NATO leadership doesn’t want to. Historical enemies will fully choose to. They both ‘sin’, but one strives to be better as it has a global public eye on their accountability. The scale of military effectiveness can still mean a small NATO mistake can lead to catastrophic collateral damage. That’s just the way she goes.

[@draganminic4928]

@@mstandenberg1421 global public eye keeps demonstrating its irrelevance. Habitual bombing the cities is NOT "a small nato mistake." That's NOT "just the way she goes." Those are nato governments' decisions.

[@Delightfully_Bitchy]

In all seriousness; What do you think Jim Hacker could have done about it? The only thing I could come up with is still meet the PM, bring up a small issue my department has been struggling with, then conversationally bring up a a "hypothetical" scenario something of the likes of "if someone had a difficult moral dilemma choosing between human life and mass employment", and gauge the PM's reaction. Is there a better solution?

[@NewhamMatt]

If the PM wanted to suppress it, Hacker could have raised the question in Parliament, or better, quietly leaked it to a principled backbencher to ask. There wouldn't be too much the PM could do against a backbencher. Expelling a backbencher from the party would leave them as an independent, giving them further reason to eviscerate the government, and the alternative would be to convince the local party members to preselect someone else to replace them. It would be a risky move for Hacker if anyone found out he was the leaker, but the embarrassment caused for the government would cause action to be taken (or at least seen to be taken).

[@Delightfully_Bitchy]

@@NewhamMatt that's a sound idea.

[@MrGengad]

isn't that todays reality? selling weapon to terrorist countries like Israel, who shelling innocent children and women, and then they come around and trying to teach us the morals duties about the world we living in.

[@ethanstump]

you leak it to the press, obviously. and it's not you who's leaking obviously, it's your subordinates underemployed brother's stoner girlfriend's father as a cutout, and you report it in a more alternative media outlet that still has a substantial following. obviously it'll still be dismissed by most of the public, but not all.

[@RJSRdg]

Or he could discuss the matter with the Secretary of Defence or the Secretary of Trade rather than going to the PM.

[@josemaria8177]

Remarkable episode. Transcends comedy and becomes one of the best TV scenes ever made

[@dnorfed]

An intelligent programme of how the country really works, so funny, I’ve watched this box set 3 times

[@TheRip72]

Or how the country doesn't work?

[@AbCat4]

I wish we'd seen more of this character in Yes Minister. His other scene, where he just drily starts, 'You really are a pain in the arse, aren't you.'

[@venkatramannarayanan915]

Moe of this character..? Frightening......

[@pauldavidmartin8062]

Yes indeed, the abominable truth of government revealed! I wonder if the production team got cold feet - or were given cold feet - after this episode, tho' obviously episodes were filmed weeks in advance. This is an unusually chilling episode, and like all of them, totally apposite today. And why? Because political engineering never changes in time or place. I've turned 70, I've been living in Catalonia (talk about politics!) for 42 years and I'm so glad to have seen these brilliant series in their time and repeatedly over the years. Nowadays the clothes and hairdos are different (I refuse to comment on the Culprit's slovenly thatch) and, notice, there are no computer screens anywhere, but these episodes ring as true today in their underlying messages as many of the Greek and Roman classics. My DVD collections are a treasure, revisted ritually every 2-3 years. And how accidentally foresightful was the surname Hacker?! Not even the deadly serious House of Cards reaches these hights, IMO.

[@ackbarfan5556]

@@pauldavidmartin8062 Well, he was originally in the pilot and the idea was he was going to be in it more as the person Jim answers to, opposite to how Humphrey answers to Arnold. They dropped quite a few folks after that first series. Jumbo, Perm Sec for Foreign, Martin, Foreign Minister who Jim tried to help in the leadership contest (Basically, Martin would've been PM if he won the contest and then they won the election), Frank Weasel, I mean Weisel. The wiki actually gives an explanation of Edward Jewesbury absence. 'Vic Gould was initially intended to be a more prominent character in the series, as the writers thought he would continually force Hacker to pursue policies unappealing to Sir Humphrey, and thus lead to greater conflict. They quickly found that Gould's character was largely unnecessary, and that the Hacker/Sir Humphrey conflicts worked just as well without him.'

[@robmarrin6720]

Just because you've caught something nasty, quite a line for today, doesn't mean you have to breathe over everybody 😉👍

[@rorybone100]

God, how I miss television. Remember a time when this and Spitting Image and Blackadder were the norm? Now we get endless shows about tarting up your house.

[@Sarthak2073]

Chief whip not secretary

[@jaypandya7441]

Chief Whip says what Humphrey wants to say, but can't

[@lukemarshall1701]

There is an episode in which Bernard talks about his conscience and I think Humphrey asks him a question along the lines of how he's able to afford such a luxury.

[@AudieHolland]

Actually Humphrey has a valid reason why he can't say anything. He's a civil servant and thus not politically affiliated. He may have worked with a Minister who was hell bent on installing more nukes, then the next Minister from another party would do everything to cut the number of nukes and Humphrey would have to work as hard as he did with the previous installment.

[@johnh5424]

It's so odd. Nothing has changed in 40+ years

[@iainbagnall4825]

"Just because you've caught something nasty doesn't mean you need to go around breathing all over everybody" I mean in the modern context this refers to Covid, but applies just as readily to ethics as well.

[@jordan3400]

Did you think you were the only one to make the link between the metaphor of disease and the most notorious disease at current being COVID?

[@iainbagnall4825]

@@jordan3400 No.

[@jordan3400]

@@iainbagnall4825 Good

[@Ricky-oi3wv]

@@jordan3400 you should probably stop trying to sound clever, Jordan. And Ian, the metaphor is completely reprehensible. That's the joke. You'll notice he's characterising moral sentiment as a disease.....

[@jordan3400]

@@Ricky-oi3wv hahahahaha the seeping irony. Im not trying to sound clever. It’s a little concerning you think I was.

[@McRocket]

This one scene says SO much about politics.

[@venkatramannarayanan915]

Horror in politics...

[@SMunro]

Best send a Memo to the ministers for Trade and Defense informing them that its become public knowlege (Jim being a public official) that terrorists have been sold british bomb detonators and they might want to look into it before the Prime Minister becomes aware of the situation.

[@auricstorm]

Memos are wonderful things. Sending them fulfills your duty to inform someone, and if you put it in the bottom of the in-tray or "red-box" the person recieving it is unlikely to read it, so can quite naturally claim "I had a lot of other matters that took up my time, this has only just come to my attention" if the matter becomes public knowledge

[@GoldenSunAlex]

@@auricstorm This is actually how the episode ends. Hacker is screwed either way, so Humphrey advises him to send a memo just as the P.M. is leaving the country on a trip.

[@warplanner8852]

If you think this gentleman is a brutal chief whip, your should get to know Frances "F. U." Urquhart in the British House of Cards!

[@matthewbrown1835]

Just goes to show the power of the Whips office, Hacker should think himself lucky that it was just a pat on the shoulder, goodness knows where else he could have been patted or pinched.

[@malcolmabram2957]

From the days when I loved the BBC.

[@deanfowles3707]

Ha and we all now know what they were up to back then

[@monarchist1838]

I think I can recall when Jim is PM, he has a different Chief Whip.

[@kiandocherty3589]

Surely you'd think "Fuck he's bastard, I'd rather like him to be MY bastard."

[@ackbarfan5556]

Yeah, the Party's Chief Whip changed from Vic Gould (who was in the first episode as well) to Jeffery by the events of Party Games.

[@stevenredacted1322]

2:52 you’re being self indulgent....also you’re throwing away a promotion!

[@christopherbarnett5554]

You can see that this part is very close to the knuckle, not so many laughs.......

[@opensourceguy730]

I never get tired of watching this clip. Transcendent.

[@newperve]

In the book (which is formatted as Hacker's diaries) the commentaries say that the whip made up the bit about the anti-terrorist agreement.

[@Charlie_Echo]

Scarier than Malcolm Tucker :)

[@Dave_Sisson]

No one is scarier than Malcolm Tucker. I had dealings with a real life version of him (not in the UK) and everyone (including his allies and enemies) was terrified of him.

[@Mourtzouphlos240]

@@Dave_Sisson Tucker loses all of his scariness the second you realize that he cannot actually do more than scream at you. His threats are as empty as his principals.

[@Dave_Sisson]

@@Mourtzouphlos240 Actually, the "real life version of Malcom Tucker" was later elected to the parliament of my country and he suddenly became a real softy, always advocating for the underdogs of society in defiance of his party's policies. I suspect it was because he was the only person who wasn't afraid of the whips, so he did whatever he wanted to.

[@Gw0wvl]

If only they made reality TV series like Yes minister / Yes prime-minister today .

[@Dave_Sisson]

I think it's still relevant. Apart from a few things that date it like the clothes, interior decoration, lack of computers and shortage of senior women, it could have been made this year.

[@alsmith20000]

The thick of it is similar only there's lots of swearing.

[@applejuice5272]

@@alsmith20000 "...will put you on the train to Funky Town! CHOO FUCKING CHOO!!!"

[@ipellaers]

God damn television used to be good

[@menn6173]

😆😆😆😆

[@thiagodeandrade7081]

That's no way to talk to the future Prime Minister...

[@fredherfst8148]

🇨🇦they showed Yes Minister during lunchtime at a senior management course. We all had lunch watching and laughing.

[@Songbirdstress]

This so 8nteresting, greatest thing written about governance since The Prince.

[@cleric7788]

The solution would be to inform the trade minister.

[@raymonddixon7603]

Who were we to know at the time that is the way it really works.

[@SnoweyRawr]

1:54 everyone right now to people without a mask haha

[@bizzbarberbarryt747]

great series if anyone needs to see how any gvrmt has only one agenda TO KEEP THE STATUS QUO and we all know what that means keep wealth were it belongs just watch this series and you will not be fooled any more by any gvrmt stunt . great story lines great actors great writers and all delivered with perfect message and comic timing A CLASSIC BRITISH COMEDY .

[@concertautist4474]

Another conscience absolving game theoretical rationalisation is that some other power will supply the arms instead. One has to be a real gladiator to go up against the whip under such circumstances.

[@neilgriffiths6427]

101 for any politics or governance student worldwide - you may not like how the world works, but this is how it does.

[@rogermouton2273]

Encapsulates how people are corrupted by politics.

[@uppanadam]

Welcome to Politics!! LOL!!

[@robustelement]

And that's how politics works.

[@kreb7]

Carrot and stick combination

[@tomwotton9]

3:04 Me “What?!”

[@guitarlover302]

Brilliant 😂😂😂

[@wendischofield352]

Doubt that this UK government would allow this on current tv! Very clever, and witty.

[@john_carter8243]

THIS QUALITY SUCKS!!!

[@sevenpolar3483]

it isn't the video, camera's have come along way since 40 years ago

[@ColonelStraker]

In America, Mr. Mustache would be a Democrat.

[@zingzangspillip1]

You're both right.

[@sugarnads]

No he basically fills the role of chief of staff.

[@zingzangspillip1]

You might be right. In the Westminster system, a chief whip is usually a senior member of the party who is not strictly in the party leadership, but does carry authority to keep other MPs in line. Does that conform to the Chief of Staff? I mainly understand these roles through The West Wing.

[@ashleelmb]

@@newjerseyyouth4853 More likely a democrat.

[@UmarWazir]

@@zingzangspillip1 No, Congress has whips too, at least according to House of Cards Season 1