This notion formed a core tenet of what became the dominant organising perspective of the British political system - the Westminster model of government. There are various versions of the model, but Box 1 identifies its key characteristics:

Box 1: The Westminster Model THE WESTMINSTER MODEL

WestminsterWhitehallParliamentary SovereigntyPermanence

Governing Party with a majority in the House of Commons

Anonymity

Cabinet Ministers have collective responsibility

Neutrality

Party discipline maintained

Expertise/knowledge

Voters offered choice between disciplined parties

Informal 'village-like' networks

Accountability through free and fair elections

Accountability to political masters

Delivers strong Cabinet Government [Executive Dominance]

Public Service Ethos - ensures defence of the public interest

The principle of Parliamentary Sovereignty underpins the model, but the way the system operates is based on two linked characteristics: a first-past-the-post electoral system which, while holding the executive accountable at periodic free and fair elections, almost inevitably gives one party an overall majority; and strong party discipline, that together with the electoral system, produces majority government and executive dominance of the legislature. In addition, sovereignty presumes both the unitary and territorial integrity of the British state. The model characterises a closed and elitist system of policy making, legitimised by the principle of ministerial responsibility, regular elections and the notion of a public service ethos which presents an image of civil servants working for the public good and not their own self-interest. The decision making process is based on officials marshalling the facts, warning ministers of the pitfalls of various options and ministers making decisions that they are accountable for, first to Parliament and then the electorate.

The key normative element of the model is that political power is centred on Westminster and Whitehall. It implicitly espouses the view that 'government knows best', where governing is essentially a process of 'one way traffic', from those governing [the Government] to those being governed [society]. It presents a specific view of the nature of power which is elitist, hierarchical and top-down. Politics is a zero-sum game with the Prime Minister dominating ministers, ministers dominating civil servants and central government (the core executive) dominating local government. This reinforces the notion of Britain as a strong, unitary state in which the power invested in the government remains largely unfettered. While it is recognised that the Westminster Model, as with all models, is only intended to represent an 'ideal type' and so oversimplifies the reality of how British politics operates, it nevertheless captures a number of essential characteristics of the British system of government.

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