A Single Brain in Downing Street

The prime minister is the head of the body politic; this is a far stronger position than simply being the first among equals chairing Cabinet meetings. Because the system of party government fuses Parliament and government, there is a single brain at the head of the British body politic. By contrast, the president of the United States is head of the executive branch but must rely on the Senate and the House of Representatives for approval of legislation, the budget and presidential appointees. It took four Democratic Party presidents more than half a century to get the great majority of Americans covered by health insurance. In Britain, it took the Labour government of Clement Attlee three years to establish a national health service.