Timed Essay January

Question 1

Collective Cabinet Responsibility : Give the three points

Answer 1

Secrecy
Binding decisions
Confidence vote

Question 2

Define CCR: Secrecy

Answer 2

Ministers must keep details of discussion secret

Question 3

Define CCR: Binding Decisions

Answer 3

Once a decision is reached it is BINDING on all ministers whether they agreed with it or not.
They must publicly support the decision OR resign.

Question 4

CCR: Suella Braverman on Policy:

Answer 4

Forced to resign as she broke data rules. Protocol broken.

Question 5

CCR: Multiple Ministers on May’s BREXIT plan:

Answer 5

Boris Johnson

Question 6

CCR: Baroness Warsi on Israel Policy

Answer 6

Warsi resigned over UK coalition policy over Gaza.

Question 7

CCR: Define Confidence Vote

Answer 7

If it loses a vote of confidence specifically on the government policy it must theoretically resign.
1979 Callaghan on the Scottish Devolution Vote

Question 8

Why is Collective Cabinet Responsibility important? Three points

Answer 8

Makes them electable and credible
Allows full discussion/ secret discussion
Ensures Govt. Accountable

Question 9

EXCEPTIONS TO CCR: Temporary Suspension During Referendums

Answer 9

Temporary suspension during referendums -> on rare occasions, PMs suspend CCR to prevent ministerial resignations.
Eg. EU referendum -> Cameron allows ministers to take a personal decision to campaign to leave the EU, even though govt.s position was to support EU membership.

Question 10

EXCEPTIONS TO CCR: Coalitions

Answer 10

Eg. 2010 Cons- Lib Dem agreement identified four issues on which Lib Dem ministers wouldn’t be bound by CCR.

Question 11

EXCEPTIONS TO CCR: Free votes

Answer 11

Free votes may be granted to ministers.
Eg. Assisted dying (2015)

Question 12

Strain on CCR: BJ Telegraph article criticising May’s BREXIT plan

Answer 12

BJ showed dissatisfaction with policy.
He should have been sacked.
He wanted a hard Brexit.

Question 13

IMR: How has this been modified?

Answer 13

Cabinet manual has codified but not entrenched behaviour.

Question 14

Individual Ministerial Responsibility: What distinctions are made?

Answer 14

Misleading vs. error -> difference between intent
Between policy and administration.

Question 15

IMR: Give three points

Answer 15

Policy Failure
Personal misconduct
Mistakes in department

Question 16

IMR: Policy Failure -> Amber Rudd

Answer 16

She misled Commons Home Affarirs Select Comittee over targets for removing illegal immigrants.
She resigned over Windrush policy failure and misleading Parliament.

Question 17

Personal Misconduct - Suella Braverman

Answer 17

Data breaches. Broke protocol.

Question 18

Personal misconduct - Matt Hancock health 2021

Answer 18

He resigned after The Sun published CCTV footage of him ignoring his own covid guidelines.

Question 19

Personal misconduct - Liam Fox Defence 2011

Answer 19

He took his friend to meetings, who would then give out cards and piggyback his job.
If the PM backs you, hard to go. If media backs you, also hard to go.

Question 20

Personal misconduct- Priot Patel

Answer 20

She had unofficial meetings with Israeli govt. ministers without telling cabinet (misconduct)
She resigned for misconduct but came back in another govt. refused to resign the second type over bullying row.
This case shows backing of the PM and how flexible conventions are.

Question 21

IMR: Mistakes in Parliament -> Ofqual. What issues did this show change?

Answer 21

That it is difficult to decide if a problem was caused by a flawed policy or poor implementation.
Ofqual’s algorithm was criticised so the original teacher-submitted grades were used.

Question 22

Why is there flexibility in IMR? Give three points

Answer 22

Misleading vs error (misconduct)
If PM backs you - eg. BJ backed Priti Patel
Media opinion of you
You get the return of ministers, coming back in another role/ time.