Government and ministers Flashcards
What is the government?
The government is the collective name for the ministers of the Crown who oversee departments of state - the ‘executive’.
- it is made up of 80-100+ ministers, including whips, minister of state, parliamentary private secretaries and earn more than mps
What is the cabinet?
The cabinet is 20 or so ministers selected by the PM. Secretaries of state and other senior ministers also sit in the cabinet.
The most senior include examples like the Home Secretary, Justice Secretary and the foreign secretary.
What is the role of the cabinet?
The role of the secretary is make general decisions on policy
take detailed decisions on politically sensitive matters
act as a forum to resolve disputs between ministers
overseeing and co ordinating the operation of the government
What is a civil servant?
A civil servant is a full time, paid non political role.
Civil servants run the administration and business of a country.
Permanent secratery is the most senior civil servant and the most senior permanent secretary is the cabinet secretary.
What is the role of the prime minister?
The prime minister is the head of the government (the executive). The prime minister has the rights to exercise on the sovereigns behalf powers entrusted by the royal prerogative.
-leader of the major party in the house of commons
-appoints fellow ministers, appoints and dismisses cabinet members
- chairs weekly cabinet meetings
-can declare war
- the only minister granted a private audience with the monarch, keeps the sovereign up to date of the government’s activities weekly.
What are four principle forces holding the PM to account?
The Public- they are MPs and must stand for re election.
The Press- editors and reporters covering issues. British Broadcasters are bound by the code of impartiality.
Parliament- policy can be voted down and committees examine depts and scrutinise law. The PM gets scrutinised twice every year
The party- backbench revolts.
How are actions of a minister governed?
Actions of a minister are governed by collective responsibility, individual minister responsibility and the ministerial code.
What is collective responsibility?
All members of the government should agree and defend a policy even if they did participate in drawing it up.
A minister who disagrees with a policy must remain silent in public but resign from the government.
A minister who resigns from the government can remain an MP but has to give up their salary and ministerial post.
What is individual ministerial responsibility?
Ministers are responsible for all the actions of their department. If a serious error occurs the minister must take responsibility and resign from the government – even if the error was a civil servant’s without the minister’s knowledge
What is a case study when a minister had to resign?
Matt Hancock had to resign from his health secretary position in 2021 july as he breached social distancing guidance and kissed a colleague.
what is the opening of the ministerial code?
Ministers of the Crown expected to uphold the highest standards of propriety
Bound by collective + individual ministerial responsibility
