The Evolution of the British Executive: Cabinet, Prime Minister and Core Executive Model

Abstract

With the resignation of three prime ministers in the United Kingdom since 2019, the executive organ in the UK has become a topic of controversial discussion in the literature. The longstanding debate regarding who wields significant influence within the Executive branch and how executive power is exercised has reignited. It has been underscored that historically, the executive functioned either through the cabinet system, characterized by a collective decision-making structure, or the prime ministerial system, where the prime minister held primary decision-making authority. This article argues that neither the cabinet nor the prime ministerial system adequately explains the contemporary British executive. By analyzing the institutions of the cabinet and the prime minister's office from both historical and contemporary perspectives, this article seeks to explain this point. Ultimately, it examines the core executive model, positing that multiple actors and various factors such as resources, structure, strategy, and tactics collectively determine the functioning of the British executive today.