Ministerial responsibility

• COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY

  necessary because:

  • ensures ministers are presenting a united front against the opposition
  • discussions inside the cabinet and disagreements remain private and confidential
  • binds the gov together as ministers collectively shoulder responsibility for their actions
  • enhance pri-ministerial power by silencing critics within the government

  any members of the government who do not accept these restraints are expected to resign - 62 members of Boris's cabinet resigned in July 2022
• COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY

  Under Strain:

  CMR has come under strain with ministers disagreeing with government policy but not resigning. The past decades have seen several internal cabinet battles that have led to a PM's downfall. A PM must maintain a semblance of cabinet to maintain their position as leader of the country
• COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY

  Exceptions: to find a compromise between the conservatives and the lib dems to form the coalition. Liberal Democrat ministers were not bound by CMR and were allowed to abstain from votes. The 2011 AV referendum. CMR was also suspended during the EU Brexit vote campaign
• COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY: CASE STUDY - IAIN DUNCAN SMITH

  Iain Duncan Smith resigned in 2016 as work and pension secretary stating that he could not accept cuts to disability benefits that the treasury was insisting on. He also objected to Orsbourne's budget which benefited higher earners only. It was not just this however it was growing resentment that made him resign. He claimed Osbourne was too inclined to make cuts for political benefits rather than for national interest also that the government was putting pressure on the Work and Pensions committee to take responsibility for the action
• COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY:

  Clear-cut resignations on the grounds of disagreements are rare in practice, taking such a step would greatly damage a political career. It is much more common for ministers to complain inside the government or 'leak' their dissatisfaction to the media rather than take a public stand.
• INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY

  The idea that ministers are responsible for the running of their departments and its policies. Ministers also have a responsibility for their own actions and personal conducts. The definition of Individual Ministerial responsibility is set out in the ministerial code. They are obligated to give accurate information ro parliament and if they knowningly give inaccurate information they are expect to resign
• INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY

  It is now widely accepted that government is so large and complex that a minister cant be expected to know everything that goes on within a department so would not be expected to resign over a minor mistake. It is hard to work out how IMR will be applied in a situation
• INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY: CASE STUDY - CHARLES CLARKE

  Charles Clarke, Home Secretary to Tony Blair's government was challenged by opposition MPs in April 2006 over the inability of the Home Office to account for the movements of more than 1000 foreign prisoners after they had served their sentence in the UK. It appeared as though they had been freed without being considered for deportation. Clarke admitted his department had 'taken the eye off the ball'. It was reported that he offered to resign but the PM backed him however 10 days later Blair fired him as part of a reshuffle.
• INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY

  the fate of a minister depends on:

  • how serious the issue is perceived to be
  • the level of criticism in parliament and the media when a mistake is made
  • the attitude of the PM

  Alisdair Campbell was believed to have a 'golden rule' that a minister would have to go if they were in the centre of a 'media storm'
• INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY

  IMR has also been eroded as government functions have been delegated to the executive agencies under a director general rather than a minister. This has led to doubt as to who is accountable, with the minister assuming responsibility for making overall policy, while the head exercises 'operational' responsibility
• INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY 


  blurring of lines of accountability has meant that in some cases, civil servants have been held responsible for errors. Civil servants are traditionally anonymous and don't take responsibility or accountability. This has been eroded in recent years. For example in 2012 Transport Secretary Patrick Mclaughlin admitted there had been mistakes in awarding franchising to companies to run the trains on the West Coast Main Line. 3 civil servants were suspended as a result. The argument of ministers are responsible for ensuring officials are capable of the work
• INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY

  Personal Misconduct is a more common cause of resignations. In some cases, the impression that a minister's behaviour has fallen short has been enough to bring a resignation. For example, Peter Mandelson was obligated to resign twice from the Blair government due to the perception of misconduct regardless of the actual facts
• IMR EXAMPLES

  • David Cameron resigned as PM after the Brexit referendum
  • Amber Rudd resigned as Home sec in 2018 after questions over targets of removal of illegal immigrants
  • Estelle Morris resigned in 2002 after failing to meet government targets on literacy and numeracy tests
  • May remained Home Sec in 2012 despite confusion over Abu Qatada's deportation
  • Brooks Newmark stepped down as a minister over a newspaper report that he sent an explicit image to an undercover reporter in 2014
  • Maria Miller resigned as culture secretary in 2014 after a row over expenses in 2014