Collective responsibility Flashcards
What are the six main reasons why a cabinet may be divided?
- Personal rivalries
- Ministers fighting for different departments
- All departments must fight for funding
- The chancellor is loathed as they can say no to funding; Brown frustrated Blair in this regard
- PM dominates everyone else
- Ministers have their own vested interests
List the three principles of collective security
- Confidence vote
- Binding decision
- Secrecy
Explain the principle of secrecy
Cabinets will keep their discussions secret to ensure sensitive info doesn’t reach the public domain
Explain the principle of the confidence vote
All members of the government must resign if it is defeated in a confidence vote
Explain the principle of binding decision
All cabinet members must support a decision in public and must resign if they are unable to do this
How many ministers resigned to due opposition over Brexit policy during Theresa May’s premiership?
5 cabinet ministers and 11 junior ministers, this was a postwar record
Why did IDS resign as work and pensions secretary in 2016?
He opposed cuts to disability benefits
Why did Robin Cook and two of his junior ministers resign in 2003?
Due to opposition to the Iraq war
How many ministers defied the whip by abstaining on a vote about a no deal Brexit?
4 cabinet ministers and 7 junior ministers
How many ministers defied the whip by abstaining on a vote about extending article 50
8 cabinet ministers and 4 junior ministers
What made IDS’s resignation in 2016 odd?
He had only received the full information, which may have made him change his mind, on the morning he resigned. He had also supported the decision to make the cuts in cabinet
List the 4 occasions where cabinet ministers have been allowed a free vote
- EEC membership in 1975
- Fox hunting in 1997
- To get the lib dems into coalition
- EU membership
What issues were the lib dems allowed a free vote on in the coalition?
Nuclear weapons, education and tax
Why is collective responsibility often frozen during times of referendum?
So ministers can choose one side or the other and potentially divided governments can work together. With this said, ministers will not have access to civil service resources to support their position
What did Cameron allow a free vote in 2013?
Same sex marraige, with two cabinet ministers voting against
