3.3 The prime minister and Cabinet Flashcards
Who does the power to appoint reshuffle and dismiss ministers belongs exclusively to?
The prime minister.
What has the one exception been to the rule that only the PM can appoint, reshuffle dismiss?
During the coalition government. David Cameron had to allow the Lib Dems five of the 22 Cabinet posts. When a Lib Dem resigned, Clegg found a replacement from his own party, putting a formal constraint on the PM’s power of appointment.
What does a prime minister take into account when appointing cabinet ministers?
- Individuals with ability and experience
- Establishing their authority
- Rewarding loyalty and including key allies - but also conciliating potential rivals
- Maintaining a balance between different factions within the governing party
- Meeting expectations of diversity
What is a presidential government?
An executive dominated by one individual. This may be a president but can also describe a strong, dominant prime minister.
What are the factors that affect the relationship between prime minister and Cabinet?
- The management skills of the PM
- The PM’s ability to set the agenda
- The use of Cabinet committees and informal groups to take decisions
- The development of the PM’s Office and the Cabinet Office
- The impact of the wider political and economic situation
What can the right to appoint and dismiss ministers do?
It can be used to reshape the top team, to remove poor performers and bring in new blood, and to marginalise opponents. This power should, however, be deployed with care.
What is an example of the PM’s right to appoint and dismiss ministers not being deployed with care?
When Thatcher promoted supporters such as Nigel Lawson and Norman Tebbit in order to build a Cabinet in her own image. However, by the end of the decade her dominance of the Cabinet and alienation of senior colleagues was starting to undermine her position.
Prime Ministers are able to keep certain items…
off the agenda of Cabinet meetings. For example, Harold Wilson refused to allow discussion of devaluation of the pound in the period 1964-67, even though several ministers wanted to open up the argument.
Since 1945 prime ministers have made increasing use of…
Cabinet committees to take decisions, which are later ratified by the full Cabinet. On entering Number 10, Theresa May decided to chair three important committees, including the one dealing with Brexit.
Give 2 examples of a decision being made in smaller, informal groups or in bilateral meetings involving the PM and one colleague.
- The market sensitive decision to place management of interest rates in the hands of the Bank of England was taken by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, within days of their election victory in 1997.
- Under the coalition, the presence of two parties in government meant that it was necessary to have more discussion of policy in Cabinet. An informal body known as the ‘Quad’ - Cameron, Clegg, Osborne and Danny Alexander - met regularly to resolve differences between the coalition partners.
Who staffs the Prime Minister’s Office in Number 10?
A combination of Civil servants and special advisers drawn from the governing party.
Harold Wilson created the Policy Unit in 1974, to do what?
To enable the PM to gain an overview and to drive policy across departments.
Under Blair there was close co-operation between the Prime Minister’s Office and the…
Cabinet Office to support the co-ordination and implementation of policy.
Cameron initially adopted a more ‘hands off’ approach to government departments, allowing individual ministers more…
autonomy than under Blair and Brown. However, after some policy embarrassments, he strengthened the centre once again with the creation of a Policy and Implementation Unit in 2011.
What happened to the Press Office, under Blair?
It gained enhanced importance as part of a newly created Communications and Strategy Directorate in Downing Street.
