10.3b Prime Minister's Powers Flashcards
Patronage: Appoint and dismiss
The Prime Minister can use patronage powers to appoint MPs to important cabinet roles.
The PM may appoint supporters, dismiss ministers who they view as rivals or keep opponents close.
Appointing and dismissing ministers often takes place straight after an election or through a cabinet ‘reshuffle’.
This means the prime minister can change the members of the cabinet, and remove those who threaten the strength of the government or the prime minister’s own position.
Patronage: Strengths
The power to appoint and dismiss ministers enables the prime minister to appoint ministers to the cabinet with similar views to them.
The power of patronage gives the prime minister some control over cabinet ministers and MPs in parliament as the prime minister strongly influences their political careers.
In 2018 Theresa May reshuffled the government, in which Damian Hinds was appointed as education secretary to replace Justine Greening.
Patronage: Factors influencing appointments
The prime minister will be more likely to appoint ministers to the government who share similar political views with them and who are loyal supporters.
Individuals who are well supported are chosen by the prime minister to keep them on side.
The prime minister will appoint ministers in order to balance political views in the government.
The prime minister may appoint ministers to make the cabinet more diverse and representative of voters, through appointing female or ethnic minority ministers.
Foreign policy power
The prime minister can use royal prerogative to declare war and deploy armed forces abroad.
The prime minister has the power to sign the UK up to foreign treaties.
Parliament control
The prime minister uses their party’s majority to ensure that their policies become law, and has powers to exert control over the law-making process.
Prime ministers appoint a government chief whip, a House of Commons leader and House of Lords leader to ensure parliament makes government policies into law.
The chief whip ensures that party members vote in the way that the government wishes.
MPs who vote on legislation against how they have been instructed by the whip face being disciplined by their party.
Media influence
The prime minister has the power to set the media agenda as they are the main media focus, usually being more important to the media than other government ministers.
Prime ministers with strong press offices will be able to successfully influence the media so that the media’s agenda is favourable towards them.
Tony Blair hired Alistair Campbell as his press secretary to help set a media agenda that was favourable towards him.
Heading cabinet
The prime minister has authority within the cabinet, with the power to determine the agenda of cabinet meetings and prioritise the policies which they favour.
The prime minister appoints cabinet members to different cabinet committees which deal with policy decisions.
Power over civil service
The prime minister has powers to reform the civil service and appoints the most senior civil servants, which ensures civil servants remain loyal and supportive to the prime minister.
