2.4.? Individual Responsibility

Question 1

What is individual responsibility?

Answer 1

the principle by which ministers are responsible for their personal conduct & for their departments; each minister is also individually responsible for matters that affect their department separately; they are responsible for their own performance as a minister & their conduct as an individual

Question 2

What does individual responsibility entail?

Answer 2

1. they must be accountable to Parliament for the policies & decisions made by their department: they are expected to justify their actions in debate
2. if they make a serious error of judgement they should resign
3. if a serious error is made by their department they should resign
   4, if their conduct falls below standard & breaks the ministerial code they should resign

Question 3

Minister resignations (as a result of individual responsibility)

Answer 3

1. Gavin Williamson; 2019; Defence Secretary; leaked to the press of a security council meeting
2. Matt Hancock; 2021; Secretary of State for Health & Social Care; breached social distancing guidelines
3. Chris Pincher; 2022; Chief Whip; allegedly sexually assaulted two men

Question 4

Refusal of minister resignation (erosion of ministerial responsibility)

Answer 4

1. Gavin Williamson; 2020; exam results fiasco
2. Chris Grayling; 2018; railway disruption
3. Priti Patel; 2020; claims of bullying

Question 5

How has individual responsibility been changed?

Answer 5

• recent developments in May of 2022
• Boris Johnson re-wrote the Ministerial Code; it now states ministers do not necessarily have to resign when they break rules
• additionally, alternative punishments now exists such as having to apologise or losing pay