... vested in a cabinet that meets formally and regularly, each member having (in theory) equal influence and being subject to collective responsibility'. The Cabinet ministers provide a link between the executive and legislative. They are members of and are accountable to parliament but also serve as political heads of government departments. The Cabinet adheres to a convention known as collective responsibility. This means that, in public, the members of the Cabinet give support to government policies, even if they privately disagree. If a minister is unable to support a Cabinet decision, that minister is expected to resign or be dismissed. In 1989, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Nigel Lawson, resigned because he felt he was being undermined by Mrs. Thatcher's reliance on the advice of her economic adviser, Sir Alan Walters. This radical move against your own party leaves the Cabinet unsettled and questions are then asked about the discipline ...

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