The Government of Wiltshire, officially the Government of the Wiltshirian Commonwealth, or His Excellency's Government (HEG), is the central executive authority within in the Wiltshirian Commonwealth. It is composed of the prime minister (Patrick Rivers, since January 3026), who is the head of government, as well as both senior and junior ministers of state. The government is currently composed on the Labour party, which holds a minority government following the 3026 election. The prime minister and his most senior ministers of state belong to the supreme decision-making committee, known as the Cabinet.
Ministers of state are responsible to the National Assembly in which they sit; they make statements in the Assembly and take questions from assemblymen. The government is dependant on the National Assembly to make primary legislation, and general elections are held at least every once every calendar year to elect a new National Assembly, unless the prime minister advises the monarch (the governor-general) to dissolve the National Assembly, in which case an election may be held sooner. After an election, the monarch selects as prime minister the leader of the party most likely to command the confidence of the Assembly, usually by possessing the expressed support of a majority of assemblymen.
Under the codified Commonwealth constitution, known as the Act of Settlement, executive authority lies with the governor-general, which is thereafter entrusted into the government through the process of prime ministerial appointment and cabinet formation. The governor-general can select whatever degree of executive authority to devolve to the government, with the current monarch choosing to reserve housing policy for his own decree. The government of the Wiltshirian Commonwealth is unique to previous forms of government in Wiltshire as it does not operate under the principles of parliamentary sovereignty: the sovereignty is held by the governor-general, and constitutionality is reserved by the Balancín Crown and Parliament. Many have described this set up as one of vassalage.
Government-in-Assembly
The government is required by the Act of Settlement - and for practical reasons - to maintain the confidence of the National Assembly. It requires the support of assemblymen for the maintenance of supply (by voting through the government's budgets) and to pass primary legislation. By convention, if a government loses the confidence of the National Assembly, then it must either resign or hold a general election.
The prime minister is held to account during question time, which provides an opportunity for assemblymen from all parties to question and scrutinise the government on any subject at the highest level of political leadership. There are also departmental questions, where ministers of state are required to answer questions relating to their specific Office of State.
Offices of State
The government is subdivided into nine offices of state, each being led by a minister of state. These ministers comprise the cabinet.
| Office of State | Policy portfolio | Responsible minister |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet Office |
|
Patrick Rivers as prime minister |
| Treasury Office (sometimes known as the Exchequer) |
|
Gavin Thompson as chancellor of the exchequer |
| Foreign Office |
|
Jenna Wilkie as foreign minister |
| Labour Office |
|
Alan Kelly as labour minister |
| Interior Office |
|
Liesbeth Margo as interior minister |
| Defence Office |
|
Penny May as defence minister |
| Progress Office |
|
Dennis Drakeford as progress minister |
| Home Office |
|
Elliot Macintosh as home minister |
| Justice Office |
|
Peter RT Harris as attorney general |