Government, the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Forming a Government
After a general election, the leader of the political party that wins a majority of seats in the House of Commons is invited by the monarch to form a cabinet government. If no single party wins an outright majority, parties may negotiate a coalition or a confidence-and-supply agreement. In 2010, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats formed the UK’s first peacetime coalition government since the 1940s, sharing cabinet posts between them.
The key distinction to understand is between the executive, which governs, the legislature (Parliament), which makes laws, and the judiciary, which interprets them. In the UK these three branches are not fully separated — members of the executive usually sit in Parliament — but they are meant to hold each other in check.
Government is formed by the party leader who commands a majority in the House of Commons. If no majority exists, a coalition or confidence-and-supply agreement may be negotiated.
The Role of the Prime Minister
The Prime Minister (PM) is the most powerful individual in government. The role has grown by convention rather than statute — there is no single law that defines it. Key powers of the Prime Minister include: appointing and dismissing cabinet ministers; chairing cabinet meetings; setting the government’s overall strategy; representing the UK at international summits; recommending dissolution of Parliament (subject to the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011, which was itself repealed by the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022, restoring prerogative powers); and making senior public appointments.
The PM operates from 10 Downing Street in Westminster. Every Wednesday during parliamentary sessions, the PM faces Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons — a key mechanism of parliamentary scrutiny where the Leader of the Opposition and any MP may question the PM directly. This is an important democratic accountability check: the PM must defend government policy in public.
Supporters of strong PM powers argue that clear leadership is essential for effective government: a PM who can appoint loyal ministers and set a clear agenda delivers on the mandate voters gave the winning party. Without these powers, government could become gridlocked.
Critics argue the PM’s powers have expanded too far, making the role closer to a president than a first among equals. They point to patronage (the PM appoints ministers, peers and public appointees) and the concentration of communications in Downing Street. Some argue this weakens cabinet government and Parliament’s scrutiny role. The debate reflects a genuine tension in an uncodified constitution where conventions can shift over time.
The Cabinet
The cabinet is made up of around 20–23 senior ministers who each lead a government department. Examples of cabinet positions include the Chancellor of the Exchequer (responsible for economic policy and the budget), the Home Secretary (responsible for policing, immigration and national security), and the Foreign Secretary (responsible for international relations). Cabinet ministers are appointed by the PM and are collectively responsible for government decisions.
Collective cabinet responsibility is a central constitutional convention: once the cabinet reaches a decision, all ministers are expected to support it in public. A minister who cannot do so is expected to resign. This maintains the appearance of unified government and prevents public division. Ministers who resigned during Brexit negotiations in 2018 — citing disagreement with the agreed approach — illustrated how the convention operates in practice.
Collective cabinet responsibility means all ministers must publicly support cabinet decisions. A minister who cannot support a decision is expected to resign from the cabinet.
Ministers and Government Departments
Below the cabinet, government is organised into departments, ministries and agencies. Each department is led by a Secretary of State (a cabinet minister) and supported by junior ministers — Ministers of State and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State — who manage specific policy areas. For example, the Department of Health and Social Care has the Secretary of State at the top, supported by several junior ministers responsible for areas like mental health, social care or public health.
The civil service is the politically neutral workforce that supports ministers. Civil servants do not change when a new government takes office; their job is to provide impartial advice, manage departments and carry out policy decisions. The most senior civil servant in a department is the Permanent Secretary. The separation between elected ministers (who set policy) and civil servants (who implement it) is an important constitutional safeguard.
Many students use “government” and “Parliament” as if they mean the same thing — but they do not. Parliament is the legislature: it is made up of all MPs in the House of Commons, all peers in the House of Lords, and the monarch in their constitutional role. Parliament’s job is to make laws and scrutinise the executive.
The government (the executive) is the party or coalition that holds power. It is made up of the PM, cabinet ministers, and junior ministers — typically around 100 people in total, out of a House of Commons with 650 MPs. So the government is a relatively small group that sits within the larger Parliament and is accountable to it. Parliament can remove the government through a vote of no confidence.
Accountability of Government
Government is held accountable through several mechanisms. In Parliament, MPs use questions, debates and select committees to scrutinise ministers. The National Audit Office checks how public money is spent. Courts can use judicial review to check that government decisions are lawful and do not exceed the powers granted by Parliament. Elections give citizens the ultimate power to remove a government that has lost public support. These overlapping checks reflect the UK’s commitment to the rule of law and parliamentary sovereignty.