Cabinet

• All official government decisions and policies must be cleared by the Cabinet of they are to be considered legitimate
• It consists of between 20-25 senior government ministers, the precise number of members is up to the PM
• most members are senior ministers who are in charge of large gov departments
• all cabinet members must be a part of either the House of Commons or the House of Lords. Most are MPs
• The four great offices of state

  PM, Chancellor of the Exchequer, First secretary of state and secretory of state for foreign and common wealth affairs and home secretary
• In emergency or crisis the PM may revert to Cabinet to make decisions. Military situations are the most common e.g. UK intervention in the Syrian civil war
• The fact that Cabinet meetings are held i. secret helps when military and security matters are at stake
• Cabinet discusses and sets out how policy is to be presented to parliament, to govs own MPs + peers and to the media
• PM and Cabinet try solve disputes between ministers but, when not possible, Cabinet acts as a final “court of appeal”
• Cabinet will settle governments agenda on the gov business passing through parliament
• The PM together with their advisers, policy units, close ministerial allies and senior civil servants (known collectively as “Downing street machine”) will develop proposals of their own
• When ministers intend to oppose the PM, they usually resign e.g. when Sir Geoffrey Howe resigned from Margaret Thatcher’s Cabinet in 1989, largely over her European policies
• Most detailed policy is worked out in small committees consisting of Cabinet members and junior ministers.
• Most of the Cabinet committees are chaired by the PM or very senior minister, such as the chancellor
• Cabinet committees present their proposals to full Cabinet, and they are usually accepted, though they may sometimes be referred back to committees for amendments and improvement
• Economic and financial policy is presented to the Cabinet by the chancellor.
• The annual Autumn Statement (in November) and the Budget (in March) are usually only revealed to the Cabinet on the eve of their presentation in parliament
• Policies involving a particular gig department, but require wider approval, are presented are presented to Cabinet by the relevant minister
• It is when policy is presented to Cabinet dissent is most likely, though a minister who is backed by the PM is in a good position to secure approval
• Policies are often developed by various professional advisers, policy units and think tanks
• Policies may be adopted by various ministers who then bring the idea to cabinet, usually after securing the approval of the PM and Chancellor
• If other ministers have problems with such policy proposals, they are usually voiced well in advance
• Role of Cabinet:

  • changeable and unclear
  • crisis - PM may revert to collective wisdom
  • discus was to present policy
  • can be disputes
  • decides what business is brought to parliament
• Only members governing party are Cabinet members, unless a coalition
• Normally meets once a week (thursday)
• PM chairs the meetings and sets the agenda
• Cabinet does not always vote on issues and the PM seeks consensus
• PM approves minutes and there is a lot of secrecy
• Cabinet members are bound by collective security
• Government departments: the main administrative units of central governments and are located in Whitehall
• Gov departments are organised according to policy e.g. health and treasury “most powerful”
• Attorney General’s office is responsible for providing legal advice to the government
• Government departments are staffed by civil servants
• Powers of the UK Cabinet:

  • legitimising gov policy
  • setting the legislative agenda
  • supporting the PM
  • deciding on gov policy
• Legitimising gov policy: does this and interprets what gov policy actually is. Largely the PM has a say in this but it is ultimately a Cabinet power to organise how official policy is presented
• Setting the legislative agenda: though the PM has influence, it is a specific power of the Cabinet to determine the gov’s legislative agenda
• Supporting the PM: cabinet does not have absolute power to remove a PM, no “vote of no confidence” in cabinet. PM can be driven out by cabinet refusing to show public support
• Deciding on gov policy: cabinet has power to overrule a PM is it can summon sufficient support for an alternative policy
• Removal of a PM has 2 main procedures:

  1. forcing through public criticism (resignation of e.g. Blair in 2007 and May 2009)
  2. provoking a leadership contest in the governing party (e.g. Thatcher 1990)
• The PM is dominant and holds important powers of selection and reshuffle.