The PM and Cabinet: Collective Responsibility

The relationship between the Prime Minister and the Cabinet is one of the most important dynamics in UK government. At the heart of this relationship is the doctrine of collective ministerial responsibility (CMR) — the convention that the Cabinet speaks and acts as a united body. This lesson examines CMR, its significance, and the extent to which it operates in practice.

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What Is Collective Ministerial Responsibility?

Collective ministerial responsibility (sometimes called collective Cabinet responsibility) is a constitutional convention that has three main elements:

1. Unanimity

All members of the government — Cabinet ministers, junior ministers, and PPSs — must publicly support all government decisions, even if they privately disagreed during Cabinet discussions. Once a decision has been made, ministers must defend it or resign.

2. Confidentiality

Cabinet discussions are confidential. Ministers should not reveal what was said in Cabinet, including who argued for or against a particular policy. This allows for free and frank discussion in private. Cabinet minutes are not published for 30 years (under the 30-year rule, now reduced to 20 years in some cases).

3. Confidence

The government must retain the confidence of the House of Commons. If the Commons passes a vote of no confidence in the government, the government must resign or seek a dissolution of Parliament.

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Why Does CMR Matter?

1. Government coherence — CMR ensures the government speaks with one voice, preventing public disagreement that could undermine authority.
2. Accountability — It ensures ministers collectively accept responsibility for government policy, making it clear who is accountable.
3. Free private discussion — Confidentiality allows ministers to argue freely in Cabinet without fear of public embarrassment.
4. Stability — A government that is publicly united appears strong and competent; public division damages credibility.

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CMR in Practice: Breaches and Tensions

Despite its importance, CMR has been breached or stretched many times:

Formal Suspensions of CMR

On rare occasions, the PM has formally suspended CMR to allow ministers to campaign on different sides of an issue:

Occasion	PM	Issue
1975	Harold Wilson	EEC referendum — Cabinet ministers allowed to campaign for Remain or Leave
2016	David Cameron	EU referendum — Cabinet ministers allowed to campaign for Remain or Leave

Cameron's suspension in 2016 was significant — six Cabinet ministers, including Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, campaigned for Leave while the PM campaigned for Remain. The visible division within the government contributed to the chaotic nature of the referendum campaign.

Informal Breaches of CMR

More commonly, CMR is informally breached through leaks, briefings, and public disagreements:

• Tony Blair and Gordon Brown — The rivalry between Blair and Brown was an open secret, with constant briefing and counter-briefing between their camps. Cabinet ministers were effectively forced to choose sides, undermining the principle of unanimity.
• Theresa May's Cabinet — Deep divisions over Brexit led to constant leaking and public disagreements. Cabinet meetings sometimes involved heated arguments about the direction of Brexit policy, and several ministers resigned rather than accept the government's position (e.g. Boris Johnson and David Davis resigned in 2018 over the Chequers Plan).
• Boris Johnson's government — Internal divisions over COVID-19 policy, the levelling-up agenda, and the PM's conduct led to frequent leaks and public disagreements. The mass ministerial resignations of July 2022 effectively ended Johnson's premiership.