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