individual and collective ministerial responsibility are too weak to ensure effective accountability

Question 1

Individual Ministerial Responsibility (IMR) is Often Ignored

Answer 1

1. Priti Patel didn’t resign after widespread criticism of the Home Office’s handling of the Rwanda deportation scheme and channel migrant deaths.
2. Chris Grayling 2019– critism over awarding a brexit ferry contract

Question 2

Ministers Protected by PM’s Patronage

Answer 2

1. Suella Braverman was reappointed by Rishi Sunak just days after resigning for breaching the ministerial code — showing that standards can be easily bent for political convenience.
2. ‘gag’ difficult MPs by promoting them to be ministers therefore they have to comply with CMR (ie claire short promoted to secretary of state for international dev)

Question 3

Collective Responsibility Undermined by Cabinet Divisions

Answer 3

In 2019, over 30 Conservative ministers and MPs defied the whip during Brexit votes and were only briefly punished, with some returning soon after.

Question 4

High-Profile Resignations Still Occur

Answer 4

Amber Rudd resigned in 2018 over the Windrush scandal, despite not being directly responsible.

Clare Short and Robin cook resigned from Tony Blairs governemnt over iraq war 2003

Question 5

Parliamentary Committees and Media Scrutiny Expose Failures

Answer 5

Chris Grayling faced intense grilling for his failures as Transport Secretary (e.g. £33m no-deal ferry contract with a firm that had no ships).

Bojo ultimately had to step down as leader of the conservative party in 2022 due to a loss of confidence from ministerial and parliamentary colleagues.

Question 6

The Ultimate Accountability: General Elections

Answer 6

In 2010, Labour lost power following public dissatisfaction over the financial crisis and Iraq War.

Conservative party– labour came into power 2024