Some government ministers seem to constantly court controversy, while others manage to fly smoothly under the incompetence radar. Is this down to luck or judgement, and what is it realistic to expect from our politicians?

In this podcast, we examine ministerial accountability using Gavin Williamson as a case study. We consider whether it is realistic to expect a government minister to be infallible, and if so what level of fallibility is acceptable. We also delve into concepts of ministerial responsibility and honour, and try to understand when something is a minister’s fault.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

- The Crichel Down Affair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crichel_Down_affair

- List of political scandals in the United Kingdom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_scandals_in_the_United_Kingdom

- Institute for Government chart of ministerial resignations https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/charts/ministerial-resignations-outside-reshuffles-prime-minister

- Gordon Brown - Taking Responsibility https://youtu.be/CND6i2o7tTE?t=3

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Image: Chris McAndrew via Wikimedia Commons