Cabinet of the United Kingdom facts for kids

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Cabinet of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Cabinet overview
Royal Arms version used by the UK Government since October 2024
Cabinet Room, 10 Downing Street
Formed	1644 (381 years ago) (1644)
Type	Committee of the Privy Council
Jurisdiction	United Kingdom
Headquarters	Cabinet Room, 10 Downing Street

The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is a very important group of top government officials in the United Kingdom. It's like a special committee of the Privy Council. The Prime Minister leads it, and its members are important people like Secretaries of State and other senior Ministers. The Prime Minister chooses these members. They are usually from the House of Commons or the House of Lords, which are the two parts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The Cabinet's main job is to make big decisions about how the country is run. This includes important public issues and solving disagreements between different government departments. The Shadow Cabinet, made up of members from the main opposition party, watches over the Cabinet's work.

History of the UK Cabinet
- How the Cabinet System Started
- From Chief Ministers to Modern Cabinets
Who is in the Cabinet?
- Choosing Cabinet Members
Cabinet Meetings
Why the Cabinet is Important
- The Prime Minister's Role
- Decision-Making and Power
Current Cabinet
Images for kids
See also

History of the UK Cabinet

How the Cabinet System Started

For a long time, back in the 1500s, government officials had their own jobs given by the King or Queen. The King and the Privy Council were the only groups that brought everyone together. The idea of "cabinet counsel" meant private advice given to the monarch in a small room.

The word "cabinet" for a group of advisors first appeared in 1644. Back then, it was seen as a new and perhaps not-so-good idea, often linked to foreign ways of governing.

From Chief Ministers to Modern Cabinets

Before the modern Cabinet, England had "chief ministers" who led the government for the monarch. These groups of ministers were like early versions of today's Cabinet.

The Cabinet became the main decision-making group in British government during the time of King George I. He and George II relied a lot on these advisors. This was because they weren't native English speakers and didn't know much about British politics. The word "minister" came from royal officers who "ministered" (served) the King or Queen. Many English-speaking countries now use the term "Cabinet" for their top government groups.

Cabinet Office, London

The way the modern Cabinet works was largely set up by Prime Minister David Lloyd George between 1916 and 1922. He created the Cabinet Office and a system for meetings, notes, and clear roles for ministers. This new system was needed during the First World War. Faster and more organised decisions were vital for the war effort. This included decisions on joining the army, working with other countries, and making weapons. These big decisions were made and watched over by a special "War Cabinet."

After the war, the country faced many challenges. These included a big strike in 1926, the Great Depression in the early 1930s, and the rise of new political ideas like Bolshevism and fascism. Events like the Spanish Civil War and Germany getting stronger also led to the Second World War. The Cabinet system helped the government deal with these difficult times.

Who is in the Cabinet?

Choosing Cabinet Members

The Prime Minister decides who will be a member of the Cabinet and who attends its meetings.

There's a limit to how many Cabinet ministers can get a salary, which is 21, plus the Lord Chancellor. Some ministers, like the Attorney General, might attend Cabinet meetings but are not full members. This is because their job needs them to be independent and not too involved in political decisions.

All Cabinet ministers must also be privy counsellors. This is a traditional requirement.

Most Cabinet members are chosen from the House of Commons or the House of Lords. This is a long-standing rule, though it has been broken for short times in the past. Today, almost all Cabinet members are from the House of Commons.

Other people, like civil servants from the Cabinet Office and special advisors, can attend Cabinet meetings. However, they do not take part in the discussions or decision-making.

Some experts think the modern Cabinet has become too big. They have suggested ideas like combining some government jobs to make it smaller and more efficient.

Cabinet Meetings

The Cabinet table

Her Majesty's Cabinet on a 19th-century trade card

Most Cabinet meetings happen in the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street, which is the Prime Minister's official home. Sometimes, they meet in other places too.

The day of the week for meetings has changed over time. It used to be Thursday, then Gordon Brown changed it to Tuesday. David Cameron moved it back to Thursday, and Theresa May switched it back to Tuesday.

How long meetings last depends on the Prime Minister's style and what's happening in politics. Modern meetings can be as short as 30 minutes. All ministers in the Cabinet must agree with the decisions made, even if they disagreed in private. This is called collective ministerial responsibility.

Why the Cabinet is Important

The Prime Minister's Role

The King or Queen officially appoints and can remove Cabinet ministers, but they always do this on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister also decides which ministers are responsible for which government departments.

The Cabinet has always been led by the Prime Minister. In the past, the Prime Minister was seen as "primus inter pares" (first among equals). But today, the Prime Minister is the main leader of the government. They have the power to choose and remove Cabinet ministers and control what the Cabinet discusses. How much power the Prime Minister has compared to the rest of the Cabinet can change depending on political situations and the people involved.

Decision-Making and Power

In theory, the Cabinet is the main group that makes decisions for the government. This idea was popular in the 1800s. However, some people believe that the Cabinet's power to make decisions has gone down over the years. They think that the Prime Minister now has more power, leading to a "prime ministerial" government. Today, the Prime Minister usually releases a list showing the order of importance of all Cabinet ministers.

The power of the Prime Minister grew a lot in the early 1900s. Leaders like David Lloyd George, Stanley Baldwin, and Winston Churchill became very strong figures.

Some groups, like the Institute for Government, say that fewer full Cabinet meetings mean the Cabinet is less important as a formal decision-making body. However, others, like expert Vernon Bogdanor, argue that this actually makes the Cabinet stronger. He believes it allows more work to be done efficiently in smaller Cabinet committees.

Many Prime Ministers have had a "kitchen cabinet." This is a small group of trusted advisors, who might or might not be official Cabinet members. Some people have said that in recent governments, especially under Tony Blair, many big decisions were made before the actual Cabinet meetings. This was called "sofa government" and was criticised for not involving the whole Cabinet enough.

The Prime Minister's ability to control the Cabinet and the government's power in Parliament gives the British Prime Minister a lot of influence. This has sometimes been called an "elective dictatorship." The media often questions the government strongly because Parliament might not always be able to hold it accountable.

The classic idea of Cabinet government was that the Prime Minister was "first among equals." But later, experts like Richard Crossman and Tony Benn argued that the Prime Minister had gained more power. They felt that "prime ministerial government" was a better description. Crossman said this was due to strong political parties, a united civil service, and the growth of the Prime Minister's personal office.

Politician Graham Allen and academic Michael Foley have even suggested that the Prime Minister's job has become like a president's. However, a Prime Minister's power over their Cabinet depends on how much support they have from their political party. If the party is divided, the Prime Minister might have to include powerful members from different groups in the Cabinet. The Prime Minister's power is also less if their party is sharing power or in a formal coalition with another party, like the Cameron–Clegg coalition from 2010 to 2015.

Current Cabinet

The current Cabinet is led by the new Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He took over after the Sunak ministry following the 2024 General Election. As of November 29, 2024, Prime Minister Starmer is still putting his Cabinet together.

Minister		Office(s)	Department	Took office
Starmer ministry
Cabinet ministers
	The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP for Holborn and St Pancras	Prime Minister First Lord of the Treasury Minister for the Civil Service Minister for the Union	Cabinet Office	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP for Ashton-under-Lyne	Deputy Prime Minister Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government	Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP for Leeds West and Pudsey	Chancellor of the Exchequer Second Lord of the Treasury	HM Treasury	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP for Wolverhampton South East	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Minister for Intergovernmental Relations	Cabinet Office	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon David Lammy MP for Tottenham	Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley	Secretary of State for the Home Department	Home Office	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon John Healey MP for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough	Secretary of State for Defence	Ministry of Defence	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood MP for Birmingham Ladywood	Lord Chancellor Secretary of State for Justice	Ministry of Justice	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP for Ilford North	Secretary of State for Health and Social Care	Department of Health and Social Care	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP for Houghton and Sunderland South	Secretary of State for Education Minister for Women and Equalities	Department for Education	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP for Doncaster North	Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Liz Kendall MP for Leicester West	Secretary of State for Work and Pensions	Department for Work and Pensions	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Jonathan Reynolds MP for Stalybridge and Hyde	Secretary of State for Business and Trade President of the Board of Trade	Department for Business and Trade	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP for Hove and Portslade	Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Heidi Alexander MP for Swindon South	Secretary of State for Transport	Department for Transport	29 November 2024 (6 months ago) (2024-11-29)
	The Rt Hon Steve Reed MP for Streatham and Croydon North	Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP for Wigan	Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport	Department for Culture, Media and Sport	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP for Leeds South	Secretary of State for Northern Ireland	Northern Ireland Office	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Ian Murray MP for Edinburgh South	Secretary of State for Scotland	Scotland Office	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Jo Stevens MP for Cardiff East	Secretary of State for Wales	Wales Office	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Lucy Powell MP for Manchester Central	Leader of the House of Commons Lord President of the Council	Office of the Leader of the House of Commons	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon The Baroness Smith of Basildon Life peer	Leader of the House of Lords Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal	Office of the Leader of the House of Lords	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
Ministers who also attend Cabinet
	The Rt Hon Sir Alan Campbell MP for Tynemouth	Government Chief Whip Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury	HM Treasury	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Darren Jones MP for Bristol North West	Chief Secretary to the Treasury	HM Treasury	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon The Lord Hermer Life peer	Attorney General for England and Wales Advocate General for Northern Ireland	Attorney General's Office	5 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-05)
	The Rt Hon Anneliese Dodds MP for Oxford East	Minister of State for Development Minister of State for Women and Equalities	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office	6 July 2024 (10 months ago) (2024-07-06)