ministerial responsibility

individual ministerial responsibility (IMR) overview

• Individual ministerial responsibility holds ministers responsible for their actions and their department’s actions

• Ministers are responsible for the performance of their department and are expected to resign if there are major failings in the department’s work or conduct

• IMR states that ministers must be competent, and are expected to resign if their work is not competent

• Ministers must take personal responsibility for their personal lives and behave appropriately

• EXAMPLE: Amber Rudd (former home secretary) resigned in 2018 after she misled the Home Affairs Select Committee over her department’s targets for deporting illegal immigrants

• EXAMPLE: Peter Mandelson was dismissed by Starmer from his role as UK ambassador to the US following the release of documents detailing his association with Epstein - he then resigned his Labour party membership and retired from the HoL amidst allegations that he received financial payments from Epstein and previously leaked sensitive government information

advantages of IMR

• IMR means that a strong standard of behaviour is maintained by government officials who are at the top of public life

• IMR holds the government accountable for their behaviour to the public

  • EXAMPLE: Sir Gavin Williamson resigned as Defence Secretary in 2019 after a National Security Council leak inquiry

  • EXAMPLE: Angela Rayner resigned as deputy PM in 2025 after it was revealed that she underpaid stamp duty on her second property in Hove

disadvantages of IMR

• IMR fails when ministers choose not to resign and blame others for their department failings

  • EXAMPLE: 2023 - Home Secretary Suella Braverman was criticised over departmental handling issues, but remained in office until a later reshuffle

collective ministerial responsiblity (CMR) overview

• Under CMR, ministers who fail to publicly support cabinet policies must resign from the government

  • EXAMPLE: 2018 - Boris Johnson resigned as Foreign Secretary because he opposed the government’s Chequer Brexit plan

advantages of CMR

• CMR ensures the government appears united and that ministers support all other government members

• CMR ensures a strong government as it means that the government has a clear official position on policies

  • EXAMPLE: 2013 - Liberal Democrat ministers sided with Conservative ministers in opposing a Mansion Tax, which they had previously supported, which ensured a strong coalition government

disadvantages of CMR

• CMR means that ministers have to defend policies they do not agree with, meaning policies can be forced upon them by the PM

  • EXAMPLE: Several members of Tony Blair’s Cabinet later claimed they had limited opportunity to challenge the decision to invade Iraq in 2003

  • EXAMPLE: 2022 - disagreements over economic policy contributed to Cabinet resignations during Liz Truss’ premiership, showing limits to collective unity

relaxing collective responsibility

• In cases where the PM may want to keep a politician in the cabinet but knows they cannot support a particular issue, they may relax CMR

  • EXAMPLE: David Cameron suspended CMR during the 2016 EU referendum, allowing ministers to campaign for either Leave or Remain