What does a cabinet minister do?

Cabinet ministers look after departments that manage different areas of life.

For example, the department responsible for the country’s money is called the Treasury. And the cabinet minister who runs the Treasury is called the Chancellor of the Exchequer (or Chancellor, for short).

The Chancellor produces a budget statement each year. This budget explains the different things the government plans to spend money on. it also explains how the government will get the money it is going to spend. This is called taxes.

The Chancellor usually lives next door to the PM at 11 Downing Street.

There are lots of other cabinet ministers who run departments like Health, Transport, the Foreign Office, and the Home Office.

There are lots of other people who are not politicians who work in these government departments. They are called civil servants. Civil servants are not elected. Anyone can apply for a job as a civil servant.

Want to find out more about how the government works? Visit www.gov.uk

Next: What your vote does