The Structure of the Executive

This lesson examines the structure of the UK Executive — the branch of government responsible for implementing policy and running the country on a day-to-day basis. The Executive consists of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, junior ministers, and the Civil Service. Understanding how the Executive is organised and how power is distributed within it is essential for A-Level Politics.

What Is the Executive?

The Executive (also called "the government") is the branch of government that makes and implements policy. In the UK's system of fused powers, the Executive is drawn from and sits in the Legislature (Parliament). The PM and most senior ministers are MPs; some are peers in the House of Lords.

The Executive should be distinguished from:

The Legislature (Parliament) — which makes laws and holds the Executive to account.
The Judiciary — which interprets and applies the law.

The Core Executive

Political scientists use the term "core executive" to describe the centre of UK government — the network of institutions and individuals at the heart of the policy-making process. The core executive includes:

Component	Role
The Prime Minister	Head of government; chairs Cabinet; sets the overall direction of policy
The Cabinet	Senior ministers who collectively decide major policy issues
Cabinet committees	Sub-groups of Cabinet that handle specific policy areas
The Cabinet Office	The civil service department that supports the PM and coordinates government business
The PM's Office (No. 10)	The PM's personal staff, including political advisers, press officers, and the PM's Principal Private Secretary
The Treasury	The most powerful government department; controls public spending
Special advisers (SpAds)	Politically appointed advisers who support ministers

The Prime Minister

The PM is the head of government (not the head of state — that is the Monarch). The PM's position rests on three foundations:

Leader of the largest party in the Commons — The PM must be able to command the confidence of the House of Commons.
Royal prerogative — The PM exercises prerogative powers (originally belonging to the Crown) on behalf of the Monarch.
Convention — The PM's role is defined largely by convention rather than statute.

The PM's formal title is "First Lord of the Treasury" — there is no statute that defines the role of Prime Minister. The PM's power depends on political circumstances, personality, and the size of their parliamentary majority.

The Cabinet

The Cabinet is the senior decision-making body of government. It consists of approximately 20–25 senior ministers, each heading a government department (e.g. the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Home Secretary, the Foreign Secretary, the Defence Secretary).

Functions of Cabinet

Policy coordination — Ensuring that different departments work together and that government policy is coherent.
Decision-making — Formal approval of major policy decisions (e.g. military action, legislative programme).
Legitimacy — Cabinet approval gives policies collective authority and democratic legitimacy.
Dispute resolution — Resolving disagreements between departments or ministers.
Communication — Ensuring ministers are informed about cross-government issues.

How Often Does Cabinet Meet?

Cabinet traditionally meets weekly (usually on a Tuesday morning) for approximately 60–90 minutes. However, the importance of full Cabinet meetings has declined:

Under Tony Blair, Cabinet meetings became shorter and more perfunctory, with major decisions taken in bilateral meetings or small groups ("sofa government").
Under Gordon Brown, Cabinet meetings were similarly brief.
Under David Cameron and Theresa May, Cabinet meetings were somewhat more structured.
Under Boris Johnson, the COVID-19 pandemic required rapid decision-making, often bypassing formal Cabinet processes.
Under Keir Starmer, there has been an emphasis on restoring formal Cabinet government.

Junior Ministers

Below Cabinet level, there are approximately 90 junior ministers:

Level	Title	Role
Minister of State	Senior junior minister	Responsible for specific policy areas within a department
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State	Junior minister	Assists the Secretary of State with departmental duties
Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS)	Unpaid, unofficial	Acts as a link between the minister and backbenchers

Together with the PM and Cabinet, these ministers form the "government payroll vote" — the approximately 100 MPs (and some peers) who hold government positions and are expected to vote with the government.

The Civil Service

The Civil Service is the permanent, politically neutral bureaucracy that administers government policy. It consists of approximately 500,000 officials, ranging from senior mandarins to administrative staff.

Key Principles

Principle	Meaning
Permanence	Civil servants remain in post regardless of which party is in government
Neutrality	Civil servants do not have political affiliations and serve the government of the day impartially
Anonymity	Civil servants do not speak publicly on policy; ministers take public responsibility
Meritocracy	Appointment and promotion are based on ability, not political connections

Senior Civil Servants

The Cabinet Secretary — The most senior civil servant; heads the Cabinet Office; advises the PM; attends Cabinet meetings.
Permanent Secretaries — The most senior official in each government department; advises the Secretary of State.

Special Advisers (SpAds)

Special advisers are politically appointed staff who work alongside ministers. Unlike civil servants, SpAds are political appointees who share the minister's political outlook. They provide:

Political advice and strategy.
Media management and communications.
Policy development and analysis.

Controversy: The role of SpAds has expanded significantly. Critics argue they have too much influence and undermine the neutrality of the Civil Service. Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson's chief adviser (2019–2020), became one of the most powerful and controversial SpAds in recent history, clashing openly with civil servants and driving a radical reform agenda.

The Relationship Between the PM, Cabinet, and Civil Service

The relationship between these elements of the Executive is constantly evolving:

Strong PMs (Blair, Thatcher, Johnson at his peak) tend to centralise power in No. 10, marginalising Cabinet and relying on a small circle of trusted advisers.
Weaker PMs (May after the 2017 election, Brown) are more constrained and may need to rely more heavily on Cabinet and party support.
The Civil Service provides continuity and expertise but can be a source of frustration for ministers who want to drive rapid change.

Case Study: Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings. Johnson's appointment of Cummings as his chief adviser in 2019 represented an attempt to centralise power in No. 10 and bypass traditional Civil Service structures. Cummings openly criticised the Civil Service as inefficient and resistant to change. His departure in November 2020 — following a power struggle within No. 10 — demonstrated the limits of this approach.

Summary

The UK Executive consists of the PM, Cabinet, junior ministers, and the Civil Service.
The core executive (the PM, Cabinet, Cabinet Office, Treasury, No. 10 staff) is where the most important decisions are made.
The Cabinet formally decides major policy, but its importance has declined relative to the PM and bilateral decision-making.
The Civil Service is permanent, neutral, and anonymous — but its role is contested, particularly in the era of SpAds.
The balance of power within the Executive depends on the PM's political strength, personality, and circumstances.

Exam Tip: Always link the formal structure of the Executive to how it works in practice. The formal role of Cabinet (collective decision-making) often differs from the reality (PM dominance). Use specific examples to illustrate this gap.