What is collective responsibility?
The nutshell
Collective responsibility is a rule for the UK government. Once the Cabinet — the Prime Minister and the most senior ministers — agrees a decision, every minister must support it in public or leave the government.
Every fact on this page comes from the official rules of UK government and non-partisan explainers. Each source tag — like IfG — opens where a fact comes from.
The basics
What collective responsibility means
The Cabinet is the top team of the government. It is made up of the Prime Minister and the most senior ministers. The Institute for Government explains that collective responsibility is a rule that holds every minister responsible for the decisions of the government as a whole.IfG Once the Cabinet agrees a decision, every minister must support it in public.IfG
Argue in private, agree in public
Ministers do not have to agree about everything at first. The Ministerial Code says ministers can argue freely in private before a decision is made.GOVOnce the decision is made, every minister is expected to support it in public.GOV
Support it, or resign
A minister who cannot support a Cabinet decision has a choice to make. The Institute for Government explains that a minister who will not back the agreed position is expected to resign, which means leaving the government.IfG A big disagreement inside the government can end with a minister resigning over the issue.
Is it a law?
Collective responsibility is not written down as a single law. The House of Commons Library explains that it is a convention, which is a long-standing rule that governments follow by custom.HoC A convention can be set aside. The House of Commons Library points to times when the government let ministers take different sides in public, such as the referendums on Europe in 1975 and 2016.HoC
- The Institute for Government describes collective responsibility as a cornerstone of Cabinet government, because it gives the government one agreed position (Institute for Government)
- The Ministerial Code says the rule lets ministers argue freely in private, then keep a united front once a decision is made (GOV.UK, Ministerial Code)
- Because the Cabinet decides together, the Cabinet Manual says ministers share responsibility for the government's decisions rather than one minister carrying it alone (Cabinet Manual)
- Collective responsibility can require a minister to support a decision in public even after arguing against it in private (Institute for Government)
- It is a convention, not a law, and the House of Commons Library notes it can be set aside in an 'agreement to differ' (House of Commons Library)
- The Institute for Government notes that a prime minister can take a flexible approach, sometimes overlooking leaks or open signs of disagreement (Institute for Government)
The deep end6 min
The principle in full
The Cabinet Manual sets out the principle in plain terms. It states that all government ministers are bound by the collective decisions of Cabinet, save where it is explicitly set aside, and carry joint responsibility for the government's policies and decisions.CM A decision of Cabinet or one of its committees is binding on all members of the government, whatever a minister's personal view.CM
Two parts: free debate, then a united front
The Institute for Government describes collective responsibility as having two parts. First, ministers can have a free and frank discussion before a decision is reached, and that discussion stays private.IfG Second, once a position is agreed in Cabinet, all ministers are expected to abide by it and vote with the government, or else resign.IfG
A convention, not a law
Collective responsibility is a convention rather than an Act of Parliament. The House of Commons Library explains that it is a constitutional convention, and that it can be formally set aside in what is called an 'agreement to differ'.HoCThe House of Commons Library lists the referendums on membership of the European Economic Community in 1975 and the European Union in 2016 as times when ministers were free to take different public positions.HoC
How strongly the rule holds
In practice, collective responsibility is applied more strictly at some times than others. The Institute for Government notes that the rule is enforced most strictly in votes in Parliament, where the government relies on ministers and junior aides — sometimes called the 'payroll vote' — to vote the same way.IfG
The Institute for Government also notes that a prime minister can take a more flexible approach at other times, for example by overlooking leaks or public signs of disagreement between ministers.IfG So the convention is not applied in the same way at all times, and the point at which a minister is expected to resign is a matter of judgement for the prime minister of the day.