... line), the first-past-the-post voting system (that tends to give a large majority to the governing party), the payroll vote (that means that members of the governing party who are on the government payroll, e.g. as junior ministers, hesitate to defy the Whips for fear of losing major portions of their income), and the reluctance of Parliament (especially the Commons) to assert it's sovereignty. The combined effect of the Prime Ministers ability to circumvent effective discussion in Cabinet, and the executives ability to dominate parliamentary (i.e, legislative) proceedings places the British Prime Minister in a position of great power that has been likened to an "elected dictatorship". The relative impotence of Parliament to hold the Government of the day to account has made it all the more important that the fourth estate (the press/media) criticise the Government. An important function of the Cabinet is to co-ordinate and control the work of government ...

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