AO1: Under CMR, ministers subject themselves to the combined restraints of secrecy and unanimity in decision- making and are accountable to Parliament and must resign if they cannot support government policy. AO2: This creates a space for the frank expression of opposing views and untested ideas and gives the perception of strong, united governance giving clear leadership to Parliament and the country whilst remaining collectively accountable for their actions. i.e resignations of D Davis and B Johnson over Brexit. AO3: We can conclude that CMR is still important as it allows for strong leadership and clear accountability. AO1: CMR, has proven to be incredibly adaptable, with it being suspended temporarily. AO2: This suspension occurred for both the referendum of 1975 and 2016 over an issue which did not fit with traditional party politics whilst it was suspended for certain policies under the Coalition to enable the Coalition government to operate showing its adaptability AO3: We can conclude that the adaptability of CMR is a key strength and reflects its ongoing importance. AO1: IMR ensures that ministers are individually responsible for the work of their departments and are answerable to AO2: Parliament for all their departments’ activities. AO3: This accountability can be seen in Ministers Questions, Urgent question, select committees and means that AO1: Ministers are expected to accept responsibility for any failure in administration, any injustice to an individual or any aspect of policy which may be criticised in parliament, whether personally responsible or not. i.e Amber Rudd and Windrush. AO2: We can conclude that IMR continues to play an important role in ensuring ministers are accountable to parliament. AO3: IMR means ministers expected to maintain high standards of behaviour and to behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety. AO1: IMR works to maintain the highest standards in public life to there is accountability to maintain the legitimacy of the government. i.e Alun Cairns, Michael Fallon, Dr Fox. AO2: We can conclude that IMR continues to operate effectively to maintain standards in public life which is crucial to legitimacy so is important. 2022 2b Evaluate the view that the concepts of individual ministerial responsibility and collective ministerial responsibility are both still important.

AO1: CMR has seemingly weakened with ministers disagreeing in public and leaking information to the media. AO2: These public conflicts and media leaks, particularly in the May government, with ministers not resigning or being sacked reflects that principle of CMR has been weakened. AO3: We can conclude that CMR is less important as both secrecy and unanimity have been undermined with clear impacts for strong leadership and accountability. AO1: The temporary suspensions of CMR, in particular in 2016 and under the Coalition, reflects its growing weakness not its strength. AO2: Essentially these suspensions have undermined the principle, showing it is not binding, so it is now a matter of whether the PM can or will enforce it. AO3: We can conclude that CMR is less important as it is now only binding where the PM chooses to uphold it. AO1: Under IMR, ministers are now increasingly not accepting responsibility for the work of their departments. AO2: Under IMR, ministers are now frequently shifting the blame to others rather than accepting responsibility undermining accountability – i.e. Williamson 2020, Hancock 2020 and whether a minister resigns is now decided by the pressure from the media and the views of the PM. AO3: We can conclude that IMR is increasingly becoming less important as Ministers are not accepting responsibility for their actions AO1: Under IMR, there have been an increasing number of incidences where Ministers appear to have fallen below the highest standards in public life but remained in office. AO2: IMR is becoming increasingly insignificant as it is the PM who decides whether the principle should be upheld removing any consistency from its application - B Johnson and P Patel in 2020. AO3: We can conclude IMR is now less important as it is in the hands of the PM whether it is applied to uphold the the highest standards in public life.