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In traditional constitutional theory, in the [[Westminster system|British system of government]], the Cabinet is the key formal decision making body of the [[executive (government)|executive]]. This interpretation was originally put across in the work of nineteenth century constitutionalists such as [[Walter Bagehot]], and the extent to which it is a decision maker today is clearly reduced, with some claiming its role has been usurped by 'Prime-Ministerial Government', or more recently and controversially, a '[[President]]ial' Prime Minister.
In traditional constitutional theory, in the [[Westminster system|British system of government]], the Cabinet is the key formal decision making body of the [[executive (government)|executive]]. This interpretation was originally put across in the work of nineteenth century constitutionalists such as [[Walter Bagehot]], and the extent to which it is a decision maker today is clearly reduced, with some claiming its role has been usurped by 'Prime-Ministerial Government', or more recently and controversially, a '[[President]]ial' Prime Minister.


The modern Cabinet system as we recognise it was set up by David Lloyd George when he was Prime Minister 1916-22, with a Cabinet Office and Secretariat, committee structures, Minutes, and a clearer relationship with departmental Cabinet Ministers. This grew out of the exigencies of the First World War, where decisions were necessarily needed to be taken more swiftly and in more co-ordinated way across Government - as Lloyd George himelf said, "War is too important to be left to the generals>." Decisons on mass conscription, co-ordination world-wide with other governments across international theatres, armamnen production tied into a general war strategy that could be developed and overseen from an inner "War Cabinet" 10 Downing Street, are all clear elements retained today. As the country went through successive crises after 1922 - the 1926 General Strike, the Great depression of 1929-32 ; the rise of Fascism after 1922; the Spanish Civil War 1936 onwards ; the invasion of Abyssinia 1936 ; the League of Nations Crisis which followed ; the re-armamnet and resurgence of Germany from 1933, plus the lead into another World War - all demanded a highly organised and centralised Government based around the Cabinet.
The modern Cabinet system as we recognise it was set up by David Lloyd George when he was Prime Minister 1916-22, with a Cabinet Office and Secretariat, committee structures, Minutes, and a clearer relationship with departmental Cabinet Ministers. This grew out of the exigencies of the First World War, where decisions were necessarily needed to be taken more swiftly and in more co-ordinated way across Government - as Lloyd George himelf said, "War is too important to be left to the generals>." Decisions on mass conscription, co-ordination world-wide with other governments across international theatres, armament production tied into a general war strategy that could be developed and overseen from an inner "War Cabinet" 10 Downing Street, are all clear elements retained today. As the country went through successive crises after 1922 - the 1926 General Strike, the Great depression of 1929-32 ; the rise of Fascism after 1922; the Spanish Civil War 1936 onwards ; the invasion of Abyssinia 1936 ; the League of Nations Crisis which followed ; the re-armament and resurgence of Germany from 1933, plus the lead into another World War - all demanded a highly organised and centralised Government based around the Cabinet.


This centralisation inevitably enhanced the power of the Prime Minister, who moved from being the ''primus inter pares'' of the Asquith Cabinets of 1906 onwards, with a glittering set of huge individual talents leading powerful departments, to the dominating figures of Lloyd George, Baldwin and Churchill.
This centralisation inevitably enhanced the power of the Prime Minister, who moved from being the ''primus inter pares'' of the Asquith Cabinets of 1906 onwards, with a glittering set of huge individual talents leading powerful departments, to the dominating figures of Lloyd George, Baldwin and Churchill.
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==Historical==
==Historical==


In traditional cabinets, at the head stood the king. The head of the government existed in order to put his decisions and policies into practice.
The monarch was the traditional leader of the cabinet. The head of the government existed in order to put the decisions and policies of the monarch into practice.


The king's ministers were his servants who ''ministered'' his will.
The ministers of the monarch were servants who ''ministered'' the will of the monarch.


Traditional cabinets of medieval England consisted of:
Traditional cabinets of medieval England consisted of:
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Any change to the composition of the Cabinet involving more than one appointment is customarily referred to as a [[Cabinet shuffle|reshuffle]]. The total number of ministers allowed to be paid as "Cabinet ministers" is governed by statute, and this has caused successive Prime Ministers problems, and accounts for some of the unusual regular attendees at Cabinet, who are not paid as "Cabinet ministers". The numbers fluctuate between 21-24.
Any change to the composition of the Cabinet involving more than one appointment is customarily referred to as a [[Cabinet shuffle|reshuffle]]. The total number of ministers allowed to be paid as "Cabinet ministers" is governed by statute, and this has caused successive Prime Ministers problems, and accounts for some of the unusual regular attendees at Cabinet, who are not paid as "Cabinet ministers". The numbers fluctuate between 21-24.


The Cabinet has always been led by the [[British Prime Minister|Prime Minister]], although his role is traditionally described as ''[[primus inter pares]]'' — first among equals, though clearly, this is a perception rather than a reality - after all, it is the Prime Minister alone who appoints/dismisses Cabinet Ministers and sets the agenda for Cabinet individually and through the [[Cabinet Secretary]] meetings. It was Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision alone to reduce Cabinet meetings to once-weekly from Tuesdays and Thursdays, just as he chose to consolidate the following Tuesday/Thursday Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons to once-weekly on Wednesdays, although remaining exposed for the same total time. So, the extent to which the Prime Minister is collegial depends on political conditions and individual personalities.
The Cabinet has always been led by the [[British Prime Minister|Prime Minister]], although the role of the Prime Minister is traditionally described as ''[[primus inter pares]]'' — first among equals, though clearly, this is a perception rather than a reality - after all, it is the Prime Minister alone who appoints/dismisses Cabinet Ministers and sets the agenda for Cabinet individually and through the [[Cabinet Secretary]] meetings. It was Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision alone to reduce Cabinet meetings to once-weekly from Tuesdays and Thursdays, just as he chose to consolidate the following Tuesday/Thursday Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons to once-weekly on Wednesdays, although remaining exposed for the same total time. So, the extent to which the Prime Minister is collegial depends on political conditions and individual personalities.


In formal [[UK Constitution|constitutional]] terms, the Cabinet is a committee of the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]]. All Cabinet members are created Privy Counsellors on appointment and therefore use the style "[[The Right Honourable]]". [As all members of the House of Lords are "The Right Honourable" as of right, Privy Councillors in the Lords place the letters "PC" after their names to distinguish themselves.]
In formal [[UK Constitution|constitutional]] terms, the Cabinet is a committee of the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]]. All Cabinet members are created Privy Counsellors on appointment and therefore use the style "[[The Right Honourable]]". [As all members of the House of Lords are "The Right Honourable" as of right, Privy Councillors in the Lords place the letters "PC" after their names to distinguish themselves.]
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Two key constitutional conventions regarding the accountability of the cabinet to Parliament exist, collective cabinet responsibility and individual ministerial responsibility. These are derived from the fact the members of the cabinet are members of Parliament, and therefore accountable to it, because Parliament is [[Parliamentary sovereignty|sovereign]]. Cabinet collective responsibility means that members of the cabinet make decisions collectively, and are therefore responsible for the consequences of these decisions collectively. Therefore, when a [[vote of no confidence]] is passed in Parliament, every minister and government official drawn from Parliament automatically resign in their role as the executive, the entire executive is dismissed. So logically, cabinet ministers that disagree with major decisions are expected to resign, as to take a recent example, [[Robin Cook]] did over the decision to attack Iraq in [[2003]].
Two key constitutional conventions regarding the accountability of the cabinet to Parliament exist, collective cabinet responsibility and individual ministerial responsibility. These are derived from the fact the members of the cabinet are members of Parliament, and therefore accountable to it, because Parliament is [[Parliamentary sovereignty|sovereign]]. Cabinet collective responsibility means that members of the cabinet make decisions collectively, and are therefore responsible for the consequences of these decisions collectively. Therefore, when a [[vote of no confidence]] is passed in Parliament, every minister and government official drawn from Parliament automatically resign in their role as the executive, the entire executive is dismissed. So logically, cabinet ministers that disagree with major decisions are expected to resign, as to take a recent example, [[Robin Cook]] did over the decision to attack Iraq in [[2003]].


Individual ministerial responsibility is the convention that in their capacity as head of department, a minister is responsible for the actions, and therefore the failings too of their department. Since the civil service is permanent and anonymous, under circumstances of gross incompetence in their department, a minister 'must' resign. Perhaps surprisingly, this is relatively rare in practice, perhaps because, whilst many would consider incompetence more harmful than personal scandal, it is of less interest to more populist elements of the media, and less susceptible to unequivocal proof. The closest example in recent years is perhaps [[Estelle Morris]] who resigned as [[Secretary of State for Education and Skills]] in 2002 of her own volition (following severe problems and inaccuracies in the marking of [[A-level]] exams). The circumstances under which this convention is followed are of course not possible to strictly define, and depend on many other factors. If a minister's reputation is seen to be tarnished by a personal scandal (for example when it was revealed that [[David Mellor]] had an extra-marital affair) they very often resign, often as the result of a short period of intense media and opposition pressure for them to do so. In general, despite numerous scandals, cases of serious corruption (e.g. acceptance of bribes) are relatively rare in Britain in comparison with many other democracies. One reason is because of the strength of the whip system and political parties in comparison to individual politicans means MPs and ministers have little capacity to be influenced by external groups offering money.
Individual ministerial responsibility is the convention that in their capacity as head of department, a minister is responsible for the actions, and therefore the failings too of their department. Since the civil service is permanent and anonymous, under circumstances of gross incompetence in their department, a minister 'must' resign. Perhaps surprisingly, this is relatively rare in practice, perhaps because, whilst many would consider incompetence more harmful than personal scandal, it is of less interest to more populist elements of the media, and less susceptible to unequivocal proof. The closest example in recent years is perhaps [[Estelle Morris]] who resigned as [[Secretary of State for Education and Skills]] in 2002 of her own volition (following severe problems and inaccuracies in the marking of [[A-level]] exams). The circumstances under which this convention is followed are of course not possible to strictly define, and depend on many other factors. If a minister's reputation is seen to be tarnished by a personal scandal (for example when it was revealed that [[David Mellor]] had an extra-marital affair) they very often resign, often as the result of a short period of intense media and opposition pressure for them to do so. In general, despite numerous scandals, cases of serious corruption (e.g. acceptance of bribes) are relatively rare in Britain in comparison with many other democracies. One reason is because of the strength of the whip system and political parties in comparison to individual politicans means MPs and ministers have little capacity to be influenced by external groups offering money.


Questions can be tabled for Cabinet ministers in either houses of Parliament (a process called interpellation in political science), which can either be for written or oral reply. Cabinet ministers must answer them, either themselves or through a deputy. Written answers, which are usually more specific and detailed than oral questions are usually written by a [[civil servant]]. Answers to written and oral questions are published in [[Hansard]]. Parliament cannot dismiss individual ministers (though members may of course call for their resignation) but the House of Commons is able to determine the fate of the entire Government. If a [[vote of no confidence]] in the Government passes, then confidence must be restored either by a dissolution of Parliament and the election of a new one, or by the resignation of the Government collectively.
Questions can be tabled for Cabinet ministers in either houses of Parliament (a process called interpellation in political science), which can either be for written or oral reply. Cabinet ministers must answer them, either themselves or through a deputy. Written answers, which are usually more specific and detailed than oral questions are usually written by a [[civil servant]]. Answers to written and oral questions are published in [[Hansard]]. Parliament cannot dismiss individual ministers (though members may of course call for their resignation) but the House of Commons is able to determine the fate of the entire Government. If a [[vote of no confidence]] in the Government passes, then confidence must be restored either by a dissolution of Parliament and the election of a new one, or by the resignation of the Government collectively.


In the United Kingdom's parliamentary system, the [[executive (government)|executive]] is not separate from the [[legislature]], since Cabinet members are drawn from Parliament. Moreover the executive tends to dominate the legislature for several reasons:
In the United Kingdom's parliamentary system, the [[executive (government)|executive]] is not separate from the [[legislature]], since Cabinet members are drawn from Parliament. Moreover the executive tends to dominate the legislature for several reasons:


* the first-past-the-post voting system (which tends to give a large majority to the governing party)
* the first-past-the-post voting system (which tends to give a large majority to the governing party)
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==A 'presidential' Prime Minister?==
==A 'presidential' Prime Minister?==


In contemporary times, the nature of the cabinet has been criticised by some, largely because several Prime Ministers are perceived as acting in a "presidential" manner. Such an accusation has been made at [[Tony Blair]] (the current [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]]) as he is believed to refrain from using the Cabinet as a collective decision making body. These actions have caused concern as it contravenes the convention of the PM being "first among equals". In this sense, he is acting like a [[US President]], who (unlike the British PM) is not constitutionally bound to collectively make decisions with his cabinet. [[Margaret Thatcher]] was also noted as being "presidential", in the capacity that she "forced" her own viewpoints onto her cabinet.
In contemporary times, the nature of the cabinet has been criticised by some, largely because several Prime Ministers are perceived as acting in a "presidential" manner. Such an accusation has been made at [[Tony Blair]] (the current [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]]) as he is believed to refrain from using the Cabinet as a collective decision making body. These actions have caused concern as it contravenes the convention of the PM being "first among equals". In this sense, he is acting like a [[US President]], who (unlike the British PM) is not constitutionally bound to collectively make decisions with a cabinet. [[Margaret Thatcher]] was also noted as being "presidential", in the capacity that she "forced" her own viewpoints onto her cabinet.


A solution cited to combat the emergence of presidential Prime Ministers is the use of [[select committee]]s to question the PM's actions. However, in comparison to the constitutional [[separation of powers]] and [[checks and balances]] that exist in countries such as the [[United States]], this is insignificant, and select committee is drawn from the same legislature as the [[executive (government)|executive]], and has only limited scrutiny of the executive. It also should be noted that British Prime Ministers can be "presidential" since the powers, responsibilites and duties of the [[British Prime Minister]] are largely convention. They are not codified or written into one single document, as is often the case with [[heads of government]] in other countries.
A solution cited to combat the emergence of presidential Prime Ministers is the use of [[select committee]]s to question the PM's actions. However, in comparison to the constitutional [[separation of powers]] and [[checks and balances]] that exist in countries such as the [[United States]], this is insignificant, and select committee is drawn from the same legislature as the [[executive (government)|executive]], and has only limited scrutiny of the executive. It also should be noted that British Prime Ministers can be "presidential" since the powers, responsibilites and duties of the [[British Prime Minister]] are largely convention. They are not codified or written into one single document, as is often the case with [[heads of government]] in other countries.


==Shadow Cabinet==
==Shadow Cabinet==
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On [[May 5]] [[2006]], a [[UK Cabinet reshuffle, May 2006|Cabinet reshuffle]] was announced.
On [[May 5]] [[2006]], a [[UK Cabinet reshuffle, May 2006|Cabinet reshuffle]] was announced.


{| class="wikitable"
{| cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 border=1
|-
!colspan=1 bgcolor="#CCCCCC"|Portfolio
!colspan=1 bgcolor="#CCCCCC"|Minister
|-
|-
|[[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]],<br /> [[First Lord of the Treasury]],<br /> [[Minister for the Civil Service]]
|[[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]],<br /> [[First Lord of the Treasury]],<br /> [[Minister for the Civil Service]]

Revision as of 12:42, 19 August 2006

In the Politics of the United Kingdom, the Cabinet is a formal body composed of government officials chosen by the Prime Minister. Most members are the most senior government ministers, mainly heads of government departments with the title "Secretary of State". Formal members of the cabinet are drawn exclusively from either house of Parliament.

In traditional constitutional theory, in the British system of government, the Cabinet is the key formal decision making body of the executive. This interpretation was originally put across in the work of nineteenth century constitutionalists such as Walter Bagehot, and the extent to which it is a decision maker today is clearly reduced, with some claiming its role has been usurped by 'Prime-Ministerial Government', or more recently and controversially, a 'Presidential' Prime Minister.

The modern Cabinet system as we recognise it was set up by David Lloyd George when he was Prime Minister 1916-22, with a Cabinet Office and Secretariat, committee structures, Minutes, and a clearer relationship with departmental Cabinet Ministers. This grew out of the exigencies of the First World War, where decisions were necessarily needed to be taken more swiftly and in more co-ordinated way across Government - as Lloyd George himelf said, "War is too important to be left to the generals>." Decisions on mass conscription, co-ordination world-wide with other governments across international theatres, armament production tied into a general war strategy that could be developed and overseen from an inner "War Cabinet" 10 Downing Street, are all clear elements retained today. As the country went through successive crises after 1922 - the 1926 General Strike, the Great depression of 1929-32 ; the rise of Fascism after 1922; the Spanish Civil War 1936 onwards ; the invasion of Abyssinia 1936 ; the League of Nations Crisis which followed ; the re-armament and resurgence of Germany from 1933, plus the lead into another World War - all demanded a highly organised and centralised Government based around the Cabinet.

This centralisation inevitably enhanced the power of the Prime Minister, who moved from being the primus inter pares of the Asquith Cabinets of 1906 onwards, with a glittering set of huge individual talents leading powerful departments, to the dominating figures of Lloyd George, Baldwin and Churchill.


Historical

The monarch was the traditional leader of the cabinet. The head of the government existed in order to put the decisions and policies of the monarch into practice.

The ministers of the monarch were servants who ministered the will of the monarch.

Traditional cabinets of medieval England consisted of:

  • Household:
    • Chamberlain
    • Treasurer
    • Keeper of the Privy Seal
    • Lord High Steward
    • Wardrobe
  • Law Courts
    • Admiralty
    • Chancery
    • Common Pleas
    • Exchequer
    • King's Bench
  • Military:
    • Marshal
    • Constable
    • Admiral

Composition

The Prime Minister uses royal prerogative powers of patronage to appoint and dismiss members of the Cabinet and therefore requires the formal approval of the monarch for any appointment to the Cabinet. Today, the monarch's approval is merely token, and has never been denied in recent history.

Any change to the composition of the Cabinet involving more than one appointment is customarily referred to as a reshuffle. The total number of ministers allowed to be paid as "Cabinet ministers" is governed by statute, and this has caused successive Prime Ministers problems, and accounts for some of the unusual regular attendees at Cabinet, who are not paid as "Cabinet ministers". The numbers fluctuate between 21-24.

The Cabinet has always been led by the Prime Minister, although the role of the Prime Minister is traditionally described as primus inter pares — first among equals, though clearly, this is a perception rather than a reality - after all, it is the Prime Minister alone who appoints/dismisses Cabinet Ministers and sets the agenda for Cabinet individually and through the Cabinet Secretary meetings. It was Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision alone to reduce Cabinet meetings to once-weekly from Tuesdays and Thursdays, just as he chose to consolidate the following Tuesday/Thursday Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons to once-weekly on Wednesdays, although remaining exposed for the same total time. So, the extent to which the Prime Minister is collegial depends on political conditions and individual personalities.

In formal constitutional terms, the Cabinet is a committee of the Privy Council. All Cabinet members are created Privy Counsellors on appointment and therefore use the style "The Right Honourable". [As all members of the House of Lords are "The Right Honourable" as of right, Privy Councillors in the Lords place the letters "PC" after their names to distinguish themselves.]

Recent custom has been that the composition of the Cabinet has been made up almost entirely of members of the House of Commons. Two offices — that of Lord Chancellor and Leader of the House of Lords — have always been filled by members of the Lords, but apart from these it is now rare for a peer to sit in the Cabinet. The only current exception is the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, Lord Falconer of Thoroton. (This post was created in the May 2003 reshuffle and incorporates many of the duties of the Lord Chancellor, a role still formally held by Lord Falconer of Thoroton). The current Leader of the Lords, Lady Amos, was the last peer to sit in any other Cabinet post, as Secretary of State for International Development from May to October 2003. The last Secretary of State for a major department drawn from the Lords was Lord Young of Graffham, serving between 1985 and 1989 as Secretary of State for Employment until 1987 and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry until 1989. Interstingly, the number of junior ministers who are peers has increased since 1997, though, clearly, being a peer is a block to Cabinet-advancement.

A small number of other ministers below Secretary of State level may also be included in Cabinet meetings as a matter of course. The Attorney General (currently Lord Goldsmith) and the Minister of State for Europe (currently Geoff Hoon), together with the chair of the governing parliamentary party, are customarily included and other members of the Government can be invited at the Prime Minister's discretion. Currently, Ian McCartney, the former chair of the Labour Party and now Minister of State for Trade at the Foreign Office and Department of Trade and Industry, is the only other person in attendance at Cabinet on this basis.

In recent years, non-members of Parliament have been permitted by the Prime Minister to attend Cabinet meetings on a regular basis, notably Alastair Campbell in his capacity as Director of Communications and Strategy between 1997 and 2003, and Jonathan Powell, Tony Blair's Chief of Staff, with a distinctly separate role from the Cabinet Secretary/Head of the Civil Service.

Meetings of the Cabinet

The Cabinet meets on a regular basis, usually weekly on a Thursday morning, notionally to discuss the most important issues of government policy, and to make decisions. The length of meetings vary according to the style of the Prime Minister and political conditions, but today meetings can be as little as 30 minutes in length, which suggests ratification of decisions taken in committee or ib bi-lateral discussions between the Prime Minister and individual departmental Cabinet colleagues, with discussion in Cabinet itself somewhat curtailed.

The Cabinet has numerous sub-committees which focus particular policy areas, particularly ones which cut across several ministerial responsibilities, and therefore need coordination. These may be permanent committees or set up for a short duration to look at particular issues ("adhoc committees"). Junior Ministers are also often members of these committees, in addition to Secretaries of State. The transaction of government business through meetings of the Cabinet and its many committees is administered by a small secretariat within the Cabinet Office.

In practice, and increasingly in recent years, weekly meetings of the full Cabinet have tended to be more concerned with the exchange of information and ratification of decisions, major decisions being taken by Cabinet Committees or in informal groups, often bi-laterals between the Prime Minister and an individual minister.

Most Prime Ministers have had a so-called "kitchen cabinet" consisting of their own trusted advisers who may be Cabinet members but are often trusted personal advisers on their own staff. In recent governments (generally from Margaret Thatcher), and especially in that of Tony Blair, it has been reported that many, or even all major decisions have been said to be made before cabinet meetings. This suggestion has been made by former ministers such as Clare Short and Chris Smith, in the media, and was made clear in the Butler Review, where Blair's style of "sofa government" was censured.

Relationship with Parliament

Two key constitutional conventions regarding the accountability of the cabinet to Parliament exist, collective cabinet responsibility and individual ministerial responsibility. These are derived from the fact the members of the cabinet are members of Parliament, and therefore accountable to it, because Parliament is sovereign. Cabinet collective responsibility means that members of the cabinet make decisions collectively, and are therefore responsible for the consequences of these decisions collectively. Therefore, when a vote of no confidence is passed in Parliament, every minister and government official drawn from Parliament automatically resign in their role as the executive, the entire executive is dismissed. So logically, cabinet ministers that disagree with major decisions are expected to resign, as to take a recent example, Robin Cook did over the decision to attack Iraq in 2003.

Individual ministerial responsibility is the convention that in their capacity as head of department, a minister is responsible for the actions, and therefore the failings too of their department. Since the civil service is permanent and anonymous, under circumstances of gross incompetence in their department, a minister 'must' resign. Perhaps surprisingly, this is relatively rare in practice, perhaps because, whilst many would consider incompetence more harmful than personal scandal, it is of less interest to more populist elements of the media, and less susceptible to unequivocal proof. The closest example in recent years is perhaps Estelle Morris who resigned as Secretary of State for Education and Skills in 2002 of her own volition (following severe problems and inaccuracies in the marking of A-level exams). The circumstances under which this convention is followed are of course not possible to strictly define, and depend on many other factors. If a minister's reputation is seen to be tarnished by a personal scandal (for example when it was revealed that David Mellor had an extra-marital affair) they very often resign, often as the result of a short period of intense media and opposition pressure for them to do so. In general, despite numerous scandals, cases of serious corruption (e.g. acceptance of bribes) are relatively rare in Britain in comparison with many other democracies. One reason is because of the strength of the whip system and political parties in comparison to individual politicans means MPs and ministers have little capacity to be influenced by external groups offering money.

Questions can be tabled for Cabinet ministers in either houses of Parliament (a process called interpellation in political science), which can either be for written or oral reply. Cabinet ministers must answer them, either themselves or through a deputy. Written answers, which are usually more specific and detailed than oral questions are usually written by a civil servant. Answers to written and oral questions are published in Hansard. Parliament cannot dismiss individual ministers (though members may of course call for their resignation) but the House of Commons is able to determine the fate of the entire Government. If a vote of no confidence in the Government passes, then confidence must be restored either by a dissolution of Parliament and the election of a new one, or by the resignation of the Government collectively.

In the United Kingdom's parliamentary system, the executive is not separate from the legislature, since Cabinet members are drawn from Parliament. Moreover the executive tends to dominate the legislature for several reasons:

  • the first-past-the-post voting system (which tends to give a large majority to the governing party)
  • the power of the Government Whips (whose role is to ensure party members vote in accordance with an agreed line)
  • the "payroll vote" (a term which refers to the fact that members of the governing party who are on the government payroll (e.g. as junior ministers) would be dismissed if they voted against the government).

The combined effect of the Prime Minister's ability to control cabinet by circumventing effective discussion in Cabinet and the executive's ability to dominate parliamentary proceedings places the British Prime Minister in a position of great power that has been likened to an elective dictatorship (a phrase coined by Lord Hailsham in 1976). The relative impotence of Parliament to hold the Government of the day to account is often cited by the UK media as a justification for the vigour with which they question and challenge the Government.

A 'presidential' Prime Minister?

In contemporary times, the nature of the cabinet has been criticised by some, largely because several Prime Ministers are perceived as acting in a "presidential" manner. Such an accusation has been made at Tony Blair (the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) as he is believed to refrain from using the Cabinet as a collective decision making body. These actions have caused concern as it contravenes the convention of the PM being "first among equals". In this sense, he is acting like a US President, who (unlike the British PM) is not constitutionally bound to collectively make decisions with a cabinet. Margaret Thatcher was also noted as being "presidential", in the capacity that she "forced" her own viewpoints onto her cabinet.

A solution cited to combat the emergence of presidential Prime Ministers is the use of select committees to question the PM's actions. However, in comparison to the constitutional separation of powers and checks and balances that exist in countries such as the United States, this is insignificant, and select committee is drawn from the same legislature as the executive, and has only limited scrutiny of the executive. It also should be noted that British Prime Ministers can be "presidential" since the powers, responsibilites and duties of the British Prime Minister are largely convention. They are not codified or written into one single document, as is often the case with heads of government in other countries.

Shadow Cabinet

The official opposition party (the party with the second largest number of elected members of Parliament) is headed by a similar group called the Shadow Cabinet (the Conservative Party is the current official opposition). In recent years the third largest party (currently the Liberal Democrat Party) has also referred to its key figures as a Shadow Cabinet.

Current Cabinet

On May 5 2006, a Cabinet reshuffle was announced.

Prime Minister,
First Lord of the Treasury,
Minister for the Civil Service
Tony Blair
Assistant Prime Minister,
First Secretary of State
John Prescott
Chancellor of the Exchequer,
Second Lord of the Treasury
Gordon Brown
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Margaret Beckett
Secretary of State for the Home Department John Reid
Secretary of State for Defence Des Browne
Lord Chancellor,
Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs
The Lord Falconer of Thoroton
Lord Privy Seal,
Leader of the House of Commons
Jack Straw
Lord President of the Council,
Leader of the House of Lords
The Baroness Amos
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster,
Minister for the Cabinet Office,
Minister for Social Exclusion
Hilary Armstrong
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Timms
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government,
Minister for Women and Equality
Ruth Kelly
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport,
Minister for the Olympics
Tessa Jowell
Secretary of State for Education and Skills Alan Johnson
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs David Miliband
Secretary of State for Health Patricia Hewitt
Secretary of State for International Development Hilary Benn
Minister without Portfolio,
Party Chair
Hazel Blears
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland,
Secretary of State for Wales
Peter Hain
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury,
Chief Whip
Jacqui Smith
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Alastair Darling
Secretary of State for Transport,
Secretary of State for Scotland
Douglas Alexander
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions John Hutton

Also attending cabinet:

See also