How is the UK government formed, and what are the roles of the Prime Minister and Cabinet?
The Prime Minister and Cabinet: how the UK government is formed, the powers and role of the Prime Minister, the role of the Cabinet, and collective Cabinet responsibility.
A CCEA GCSE Government and Politics guide to the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Covers how the UK government is formed after an election, the powers and role of the Prime Minister, the role of the Cabinet and ministers, collective Cabinet responsibility, and how government is accountable to Parliament.
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What this dot point is asking
You need to explain how the UK government is formed and the roles and powers of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. CCEA examiners reward precise knowledge of how an election result produces a government, the powers of the Prime Minister, the role of the Cabinet, and the convention of collective Cabinet responsibility, with a balanced note on the limits of the Prime Minister's power. Keep clear the difference between the government (PM and ministers, who run the country) and Parliament (which makes law and holds the government to account).
How the government is formed
The UK government is formed from the result of a general election.
The Prime Minister
The Prime Minister (PM) is the head of government.
The Cabinet
The Cabinet is the senior committee at the top of government.
Collective Cabinet responsibility
A key convention governs how the Cabinet works in public.
Government and accountability
The government is accountable to Parliament, especially the elected House of Commons. Parliament scrutinises the government through questions, debates and select committees, and a government that loses the confidence of the Commons can be forced out. This is why a government normally needs a majority, or reliable support, to govern.
Worked example: the powers and limits of the PM
Try this
Q1. How is the Prime Minister chosen? [2 marks]
- Cue. The leader of the party that wins a majority of seats is appointed Prime Minister by the monarch.
Q2. What is collective Cabinet responsibility? [2 marks]
- Cue. All ministers must publicly support a Cabinet decision or resign, so the government speaks with one voice.
Q3. State two powers of the Prime Minister and one limit on those powers. [3 marks]
- Cue. Powers: appointing or dismissing ministers, chairing the Cabinet, setting policy; limit: depends on support of party and Parliament.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA Unit 1 (style)4 marksDescribe how the UK government is formed after a general election.Show worked answer →
A knowledge question testing AO1. Set out the process clearly.
The election: in a general election, voters elect 650 MPs by first-past-the-post. The party that wins a majority of seats, more than half, normally forms the government.
Appointing the Prime Minister: the leader of that party is appointed Prime Minister by the monarch. If no party has a majority, a hung parliament results, and parties may form a coalition or a minority government.
Forming the government: the Prime Minister then appoints ministers, including the senior ministers who make up the Cabinet, to run the government departments.
A top answer links the election result to the choice of Prime Minister and the appointment of the Cabinet.
CCEA Unit 1 (style)10 marksExplain the role and powers of the Prime Minister.Show worked answer →
An explanation question testing AO1 and AO2. Develop several powers.
Head of government: the Prime Minister leads the government, sets its overall direction and represents the country at home and abroad.
Appointing ministers: the Prime Minister appoints and dismisses ministers and chairs the Cabinet, giving real control over who holds power and what the government does (patronage).
Setting policy and leading in Parliament: the PM drives the policy agenda, answers for the government at Prime Minister's Questions, and leads the majority party in the Commons.
Limits: a strong, balanced answer notes that the PM's power depends on support in Parliament and the party, and on events, so it is not unlimited.
Crediting both the powers and their limits reaches the top band.
Related dot points
- The UK Parliament at Westminster: the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the monarch, and Parliament's roles in making law, scrutinising government and representing the public, including Northern Ireland's place at Westminster.
A CCEA GCSE Government and Politics guide to the UK Parliament. Covers the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the role of the monarch, the functions of making law, scrutinising government and representation, parliamentary sovereignty, how a bill becomes law, and how Northern Ireland is represented at Westminster.
- Elections and electoral systems: how first-past-the-post and the single transferable vote work, where each is used in the UK and Northern Ireland, and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
A CCEA GCSE Government and Politics guide to elections and electoral systems. Covers how first-past-the-post (FPTP) and the single transferable vote (STV) work, where each is used in the UK and Northern Ireland, proportional representation, and a balanced account of the advantages and disadvantages of each system.
- Political parties: their role and functions in a democracy, the difference between the Northern Ireland and wider UK party systems, manifestos, and how parties form or share government.
A CCEA GCSE Government and Politics guide to political parties. Covers the role and functions of parties in a democracy, manifestos, the difference between the multi-party power-sharing system in Northern Ireland and the larger parties at Westminster, and how parties form or share government, presented neutrally and even-handedly.
- The Northern Ireland Executive: how ministers are appointed by the d'Hondt method, the joint roles of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, and power-sharing and consociationalism as the basis of devolved government.
A CCEA GCSE Government and Politics guide to the Northern Ireland Executive. Covers the d'Hondt method of appointing ministers, the joint and equal roles of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, power-sharing and consociationalism, departments and cross-community working, and why the Executive can be unstable.
- The role of the media in a democracy: informing citizens, scrutinising those in power and shaping opinion, the impact of social media, and concerns about bias, balance and regulation.
A CCEA GCSE Government and Politics guide to the role of the media in a democracy. Covers informing citizens, scrutinising those in power, shaping public opinion, the rise of social media, and concerns about bias, balance, misinformation and regulation, presented in a balanced way.
Sources & how we know this
- CCEA GCSE Government and Politics specification — CCEA (2017)