Timed Essay January Flashcards
Collective Cabinet Responsibility : Give the three points
Secrecy
Binding decisions
Confidence vote
Define CCR: Secrecy
Ministers must keep details of discussion secret
Define CCR: Binding Decisions
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.
CCR: Suella Braverman on Policy:
Forced to resign as she broke data rules. Protocol broken.
CCR: Multiple Ministers on May’s BREXIT plan:
Boris Johnson
CCR: Baroness Warsi on Israel Policy
Warsi resigned over UK coalition policy over Gaza.
CCR: Define Confidence Vote
If it loses a vote of confidence specifically on the government policy it must theoretically resign.
1979 Callaghan on the Scottish Devolution Vote
Why is Collective Cabinet Responsibility important? Three points
Makes them electable and credible
Allows full discussion/ secret discussion
Ensures Govt. Accountable
EXCEPTIONS TO CCR: Temporary Suspension During Referendums
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.
EXCEPTIONS TO CCR: Coalitions
Eg. 2010 Cons- Lib Dem agreement identified four issues on which Lib Dem ministers wouldn’t be bound by CCR.
EXCEPTIONS TO CCR: Free votes
Free votes may be granted to ministers.
Eg. Assisted dying (2015)
Strain on CCR: BJ Telegraph article criticising May’s BREXIT plan
BJ showed dissatisfaction with policy.
He should have been sacked.
He wanted a hard Brexit.
IMR: How has this been modified?
Cabinet manual has codified but not entrenched behaviour.
Individual Ministerial Responsibility: What distinctions are made?
Misleading vs. error -> difference between intent
Between policy and administration.
IMR: Give three points
Policy Failure
Personal misconduct
Mistakes in department
IMR: Policy Failure -> Amber Rudd
She misled Commons Home Affarirs Select Comittee over targets for removing illegal immigrants.
She resigned over Windrush policy failure and misleading Parliament.
Personal Misconduct - Suella Braverman
Data breaches. Broke protocol.
Personal misconduct - Matt Hancock health 2021
He resigned after The Sun published CCTV footage of him ignoring his own covid guidelines.
Personal misconduct - Liam Fox Defence 2011
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.
Personal misconduct- Priot Patel
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.
IMR: Mistakes in Parliament -> Ofqual. What issues did this show change?
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.
Why is there flexibility in IMR? Give three points
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.
