Special Advisor (SpAd) - political advisors Cabinet Secretary - apolitical, serves all
If a minister cannot do their job, they will resign If a minister violates the ministerial code, they will resign
Examples:
- Angela Rayner - mismanaged finances
- David Bluiett - “quickly but no favours were done”
- Matt Hancock - sexual affair during covid
‘the quad’ is another form of centralised informal government power
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more effective
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more equally split under coalition
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collective cabinet responsibility - unity
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doctrine allows pm to control cabinet
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cabinet underpinned by secrecy
- meetings are supposed to be secret
falcrum - key area
is cabinet a rubber stamp (fake agreement)?
sometimes the pm has to suspend collective cabinet responsibility - often for moral or controversial officials
the doctrine is a tool for pms to administer control
cabinet committees are used to make policy outside of cabinet meetings
“p*ssing out the the ten than p*ssing in
Reading Questions
- Does “suspending” the rules of collective responsibility show that the British constitution is clever and flexible, or does it show that the Prime Minister is losing control of their ministers? It is situational. If it is moral-heavy, it makes sense for the collective responsibility to be suspended and is a show of flexibility, otherwise, it is often a show of the PM losing control of their ministers.
Research Task
| Prime Minister | Sir Keir Starmer Current | Rishi Sunak Previous | Boris Johnson | Tony Blair | Margaret Thatcher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political party | Labour | Conservative | Conservative | Labour | Conservative |
| Period in office | July 5, 2024 - Current | October 25, 2022 - July 5, 2024 | July 24, 2019 - September 6, 2022 | May 2, 1997 - June 27, 2007 | May 4, 1979 - November 28, 1990 |
| Election wins | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Previous political experience | Lawyer, activist Member of Parliament since 2015 Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shadow Brexit Secretary Leader of Labour Party in 2020 | Member of Parliament since 2015 Chief Secretary to the Treasury (2019 - 2020) Chancellor of the Exchequer (2020 - 2022) | Member of Parliament since 2001, Shadow Minister (2004 - 2007) Mayor of London (2008 - 2016) Foreign Secretary (2016 - 2018) | Member of Parliament since 1983 Shadow Home Secretary (1992 - 1994) | Member of Parliament since 1959 Secretary of State for Education and Science (1970 - 1974) |
| Reason they became Prime Minister | Election | Resignation | Resignation then Election | Election | Election |
| Key policy areas and events | Economy stability and long-term growth Improve public services Energy security, future-ready | Economic stability and reducing inflation Improve public services Energy security, renewables | Economic recovery Improve public services Energy security, clean power Brexit | Economic modernisation and investment in public services Education and opportunity Active foreign policy and international cooperation | Free-market economic reform and reducing state intervention Reshaping public services Curbing union power Strengthening defence and global standing |
| Relationship with cabinet | Centralised | Technocratic, loyal | Centralised, frequent reshuffling | Presidential, sofa, cabinet used to ratify decisions | Assertive, firm ideological direction, disagreements managed through persuasion or reshuffles |
| Reason for leaving office | - | Lost election | Resigned - scandal | Resigned - spent 10 years in office | Resigned - unpopular with collapsing government |
| Additional information | Majority - 404 (current) | Majority - 121 (EoT) | Majority - 80 (EoT) Handled Brexit | Majority - 179 (EoT) | Majority - 102 |
Terms: EoT - end of term Read this: Ten days that toppled Margaret Thatcher - BBC News
Collective responsibility examples: Robin Cook over the Iraq war, Boris Johnson over Theresa May’s Brexit deal