The cabinet is at the apex of machinery of government as the central

controlling body of the executive. It has a dual purpose - it is both

administrative and a political unit brining together policy formulation and

policy implementation at the highest level. As the cabinet is comprised of

between 20 and 24 senior ministers, who are selected by the Prime Minister,

it is imperative that when appointing his cabinet, his decision is governed by

political and administrative considerations. Politically the heads of the main

spending departments will be included as they contribute to and implement

government policy as it effects their own area. Theoretically a Prime Minister

will also balance the Cabinet to ensure all shades of party opinion have an

outlet at the highest level. In practice, both Margaret Thatcher after 1983 and

John Major from 1995 tended to balance their cabinets to the right and center

1) The co-ordination of particularly complex Government business, such as

Committees provide a framework for collective consideration of and decisions

tively. Tony Blair's first New Labour Cabinet of 1997 included a

that issues that are of interest to more than one department are properly

by implied devolution of authority from the cabinet and their decisions

opposing ministers remain as backbenchers they are liable to condemnation

the leading members of the party e.g. the chancellor, as the economic

government policy with a Cabinet of loyal Blairites. Therefore a Prime

Some common words found in the essay are:
Prime Minister, Cabinet Committees, Cabinet Business, Committees Sub-Committees, Labour Cabinet, John Major, prime minister, Government Politics, cabinet committees, Ministerial Committee, UK Government, collective responsibility, government policy, Margaret Thatcher, government policy cabinet, policy issues, committees sub-committees, opposing ministers, ministers considered, cabinet cabinet, appointing cabinet,
Approximate Word count = 705
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)