What is the cabinet?
The Cabinet is the group of senior ministers who lead the UK government, chaired by the Prime Minister. It includes the Chancellor, the Home, Foreign, Defence and Health Secretaries and other heads of major departments. It meets weekly in Downing Street to discuss and agree the government's main decisions.
The Prime Minister chooses Cabinet members and can sack or move them in a reshuffle. Most are Secretaries of State who run departments. A few others attend without running a department, such as the Chief Whip. Cabinet ministers are almost always MPs or members of the House of Lords. In 2026 the Cabinet includes around two dozen ministers, though the size varies by Prime Minister.
The Cabinet works by collective responsibility. Ministers may argue in private, but once a decision is made they must all support it in public. A minister who cannot accept a decision is expected to resign. Many detailed decisions are taken in smaller Cabinet committees. Cabinet papers are usually kept secret for 20 years before being released to the National Archives.
The opposition has its own Shadow Cabinet, with members who track each government minister. The Cabinet is supported by the Cabinet Office and the Cabinet Secretary, who is the most senior civil servant. How much power the Cabinet really holds depends on the Prime Minister's style. Some leaders consult widely, while others decide in a small inner circle.
- Runs Cabinet meetings and committees
- Coordinates national security and crisis response
- Manages the civil service
- Oversees government buying and projects
- Sets elections and constitutional policy
Budget: About £1bn to £2bn a year. Staff: About 8,000
What it runs or funds
Government Property Agency, Crown Commercial Service, Civil Service Commission, Government Commercial Function, Civil Contingencies Secretariat
Did you know? COBR, the emergency committee, is named after Cabinet Office Briefing Room A.
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Who chooses the Cabinet?
The Prime Minister appoints and dismisses Cabinet ministers.
What is collective responsibility?
The convention that all Cabinet ministers publicly support government decisions, or resign.
How often does the Cabinet meet?
Usually once a week, on a Tuesday, when Parliament is sitting.
What is the Cabinet Office's main role?
Supporting the PM and Cabinet and keeping government joined up. The Cabinet Office supports the PM and Cabinet and runs the civil service.
Which minister leads the Cabinet Office?
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The Cabinet Office is led by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.