PRIME MINISTER & GOVERNMENT

When did the office of prime minister emerge?

18th Century

What is the cabinet?

Composed of only most senior ministers, mostly Sectretaries of States

What are the PM’s powers?

Leader of majority party, appoints and dismisses, controls chairs cabinet & attracts media coverage

What are the PM’s constraints?

Mps may rebel, coalition government (different parties in gov together), not free to choose ministers (need for ideological balance), need collective cabinet decisions & not all media coverage positive

What is the collective responsibility?

All ministers expected to support PM’s decisions publicly & must stay silent if they disagree or resign

What is the individual ministerial responsibility?

The minister in charge of a department should resign if a huge mistake occurs, even if not individually responsible

What is the shadow cabinet?

Senior MPs from the second largest party form an alternative cabinet and shadow each member of the leading party

In addition to secretaries of states, what else does each department have?

Ministers of state and parliamentary under-secretaries of state

What is the order of departments and ministers?

What are current govermental issues?

Specific issues related to conduct e.g tax affairs, treatment of civil servants by senior ministers, how MPs vote & what they say and issues related to individual ministerial responsibility