ministerial responsibility

• Ministerial responsibility


  The concept of individual ministerial responsibility and collective ministerial responsibility
• The concept of ministerial responsibility is an important part of the third section of component two in the A-level politics curriculum
• The Nolan principles outlined in 1994 set out seven principles that public servants, including members of cabinet, should uphold
• There was no codification of what was expected of ministers before the Nolan principles of 1994
• Since 1997, a ministerial code has been published by each administration, laying out the expectations placed on government ministers
• One element of the ministerial code is

  Do not knowingly mislead parliament, and if you do, you should resign
• Boris Johnson is facing accusations of having misled parliament about parties at Downing Street during the COVID-19 pandemic


  Johnson could argue that he did not knowingly mislead parliament, but rather was incompetent or did not understand the situation
• Breaching regulations or making mistakes, including private mistakes, can lead to individual ministerial responsibility and the expectation of resignation
• Boris Johnson decided that his mistake over the details of who paid for renovations of his flat on Downing Street was not a resignation matter
• Despite fines being issued to Johnson, Sunak, and 124 others for breaking COVID-19 regulations, Johnson and Sunak did not resign
• The ultimate arbiter of whether a minister has broken the ministerial code and should resign is the Prime Minister
• The convention of ministerial responsibility is almost completely reliant on self-regulation of ministers, and they do not always resign when they should
• There have been calls for an independent body with the power to enforce the ministerial code, but the Prime Minister is unlikely to give up this power
• Collective ministerial responsibility


  All members of cabinet must publicly support and defend decisions that they made as a cabinet, even if they disagree with them in private
• Ministers who cannot support government policy should resign, as Robin Cook did in 2003 over the decision to invade Iraq without a second UN resolution
• There was fierce discussion in cabinet with Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid on different sides regarding the idea to remove free lateral flow tests prior to the decision to introduce the "living with COVID" plan
• Publicly, Sunak and Javid both supported the idea to remove free lateral flow tests, despite their disagreement in private
• Collective Ministerial Responsibility (CMR)

  The idea that it strengthens government by making it more careful and deliberative, allowing for private debate but presenting a clear public line
• Ministers who cannot support government policy should resign, as famously demonstrated by Robin Cook's resignation in 2003 over the Iraq war decision
• Other examples of ministerial resignations on matters of principle

  • Iain Duncan Smith resigning as Work and Pensions Secretary over cuts to disability benefits
  • Lord Agnew resigning over the government's handling of COVID-19 fraud
• Public trust in ministers

  Ministers resigning on matters of principle rather than going along with decisions to keep their position leads to greater public respect
• The Prime Minister can suspend collective responsibility, as was done in the 2016 EU referendum and some free votes
• Suspending collective responsibility can be seen as strengthening it by allowing disagreements to emerge while maintaining government function, as seen in the 2010-2015 coalition
• However, the consequences of the Liberal Democrats abstaining on certain votes in the coalition were felt at the ballot box in 2015
• Ministers often undermine collective responsibility without openly breaking it, through anonymous briefings and leaks against each other
• "Big beasts" within political parties


  Powerful figures who are seen as too difficult to sack, leading to reluctance to enforce collective responsibility
• Theresa May's appointment of Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary despite their mutual lack of respect is an example of this
• Collective Ministerial Responsibility is more important than it may appear in UK politics, but is sometimes relaxed out of necessity
• Ideal of Collective Ministerial Responsibility


  Debate behind closed doors, but a consistent message in public
• Collective Ministerial Responsibility helps with accountability and avoiding public confusion, but can appear dishonest
• The Prime Minister's role as the ultimate adjudicator of the Ministerial Code means they can effectively avoid enforcing Collective Ministerial Responsibility, as seen with Boris Johnson and Partygate