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Ministerial Responsibility (Collective ministerial responsibility…
Ministerial Responsibility
Collective ministerial responsibility
Departmental and personal rivalries
Money and influence
Departments = authority, advice and information
Secrecy
Keep information out of public domain
Binding decisions
Those unable to accept should resign or be dismissed
Iain Duncan Smith (2016)
Opposed cuts to disability benefits
Robin Cook (2003)
Invasion of Iraw
Confidence vote
Must resign if defeated in no confidence
1979
Exceptions to collective ministerial responsibility
Suspension during referendums
EEC 1975 referendum
AV 2011 referendum
EU 2016 referendum
Denied access to civil service resources
Coalition
2010
New nuclear power stations
Tax allowances
Higher Education funding
Trident nuclear deterrent
Broke down with significant differences
Voting against constituency boundary charges (2013)
Bedroom tax
Free votes
1997 Fox Hunting Ban
2013 Marriage Bill
Strains on collective responsibility
Leaks
Dissatisfaction about policy
Dissent and non - resignation
'Wets' concealed opposition
Prime - ministerial dominance
Ignoring cabinet
Heseltine, Lawson and Howe (Thatcher)
Mo Mowlam and Clare Short (Blair)
Individual ministerial responsibility
Ministers are accountable for their own personal conduct, departmental conduct and the policies
Ministers are not obliged to resign if failings are traceable to the action of civil servants
1996 Scott Report
Sale of arms to Iraq
'mislead Parliament will be expected to offer resignation'
2004 Beverley Hughes
Unwittingly gave a 'misleading impression' on checks on migrants from Eastern Europe
Policy v Operations
Ministers are responsible for policy
Officials are responsible for operations
In what circumstances do ministers resign?
Mistakes made within departments
Sir Thomas Dugdale (1954)
Civil servant mistakes in Crichel Down
Rare
Sale of arms to Iraq (1996)
BSE (2000)
Policy failure
James Callaghan (1967)
Devaluation of the sterling
Personal misconduct
'Seven principles of public life'
Selflessness
Integrity
Objectivity
Accountability
Openness
Honesty
Leadership
Peter Mandelson and David Blunkett
Expenses scandal
Political pressure
Period sustained pressure from parliament, the party or the press about a ministers performance