The UK
Cabinet
meetings are held in private and the details must remain secret for at least 30 years. It has
been argu ed that Margaret Thatcher tried to change this st yle of cabinet and she was forced
to resign when the other ministers could not agree with her.
Cabinet ministers cannot, however. do as they please! They are responsible to
Parliament and must answer questions from. backbenchers in the House of Coinmons. Even
the Prime Minister must answer questions every Tuesday and Thursday in the Commons - this
is called Prime Minister's Question Time and can be one of the most interesting discussions in
British politics. Everyone wants to know what has been decided behind the closed doors of
the Cabinet Room!
Britain is administered from the Palace of Westminster in London. This is also known
as the Houses of Parliament. Parliament is made up of two chambers - the House of