British Government Structure: Prime Minister, Civil Service, and Political Parties
British Government Structure
The British government includes private secretaries, deputies elected by the Premier to act as intermediaries between the Minister and parliamentarians. Finally, the Whips or parliamentary secretaries are responsible for ensuring the discipline of the elected members of the party.
The Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is the linchpin of the British governmental structure. Its origin dates back to 1701. Traditionally, the party leader of the parliamentary majority becomes the leader of Parliament. Appointed by the monarch, the Prime Minister’s office is linked to the First Lord of the Treasury, while the functions of the Minister of Finance are the responsibility of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Prime Minister determines the agenda of parliamentary sessions, decides on the dissolution of Commons, and chooses the best time to call new elections. They appoint ministers, members of the Cabinet, and maintain regular communication with the Crown. The expansion of the Prime Minister’s power, sometimes displacing the Cabinet, is a topic of discussion. The increase in power is highlighted not only through members of the Cabinet but also through direct contact with the electorate via the media. However, the demarcation between the powers allocated and those actually exercised through leadership depends largely on the personality of the Prime Minister.
Central Administration
The British Civil Service (Civil Service), the central bureaucracy, is of particular importance. These civil servants are the central administrative machine. They are officials of the Crown, excluding political or judicial officials, the armed forces, and local administration officials.
These executives are a large, hierarchically organized group, more prevalent at lower levels. They are responsible for advising and implementing public policies. Only a smaller group in the higher Civil Service is part of the decision-making process. Recruitment is through competitive examinations and interviews, resulting in a group of specialists with technical training (many from elite universities like Cambridge and Oxford). High mobility between departments is common. They control documents, officials, information, and sources, making them indispensable to the Minister. Since the mid-1980s, under the Conservative government, civil service restructuring has reduced the size of departments, leaving policy implementation and service delivery to autonomous agencies, reserving strictly political issues for the Ministry. This has led to an increasing number of agencies. It also allows the department to focus on overall policy formulation and resource management, improving the quality of services.
Actors and the Political Process
Representative Political and Party System
The British party system is a classic example of a bipartisan model, based on a social cleavage structure, rooted in the antagonism between the middle class and the working class. This continues to influence politics, although not as strongly as before. The electoral base corresponded extensively with the socio-economic dilemma. The Whigs were identified with a liberal, commercial, urban bourgeoisie, while the Tories were identified with a conservative, landowning bourgeoisie.