3.3 The Prime Minister and the Cabinet Flashcards
the functions of the cabinet
how often do they meet?
- once a week for no mor than 2 hours thursday mornings
- can be summoned in a crisis
the functions of the cabinet
cabinets important roles
5
- approve decisions
- determine key issues of policy
- decide how the government will determine buisiness
- final court of appeal for disputes between departments
- PMs appoint cabient committees to develop/implement policy
the functions of the cabinet
approve decisions: which ones? what does this maintain? what does the cabinet provide?
- decisions made elsewhere
- maintains unity of government
- provides the key forum in which government policies are legitimised
the functions of the cabinet
determining key issues of policy
callaghan and may examples
- 1976 Callaghan allowed the cabinet to debate whether to accept IMF.
- Eg. 2018 May summoned the cabinet to Chequers to determine the governments position in Brexit negotiations
the functions of the cabinet
deciding how the government will determine buisiness: how is this organised?
- controversial legislation
- ministers will need to know when they should be on the front benches to support it.
- chief whip also explains whether there is likely to be a sufficient government majority, debating any possible concessions
the functions of the cabinet
final court of appeal for departmental disputes
- the cabient may resolve an important issue between 2 departments
- Eg. during the 2010-2015 coalition
the functions of the cabinet
PMs appointing cabient committees to develop/implement policy. What does the PM decide? what legitimacy do these have? How do they choose the chair of these committees?
Eg. Johnson
- PM decides members, how many, and the remit of the committees
- decisions hold the same legitimacy as the full cabinet
- PM will chair committees that are important to the government
- Eg. Boris Johnson chaired the covid 19 strategy committee
How is the cabinet selected?
how does the PM choose who sits in the cabinet? how is this not always th ecase?
- the PM chooses
- but ultimately, there are some high profile figures who’s exclusion would be politcally impossible, and others who would never aspire to be in the cabinet.
the functions of the cabinet
Eg. Political experience
1997 and expectations of who will be in the cabinet
- Tony Blair was expected to appoint Gordon Brown as chancellor, given his economic experience.
How is the cabinet selected?
who will the PM also advance senior positions to? examples? (Blair, May)
- allies they can rely on
- Eg. Blair advanced Alan Johnson (education) and Alan Milburn (health) with their reforming attitudes
- Eg. May sacked George Osborne as chancellor to make her administration appear less elitist.
How is the cabinet selected?
Who does the PM also (unexpectedly) include in the cabinet? why? examples?
- enemies
- it binds them to the principle of collective ministerial responsibility
- Eg. 2016-2018, May tolerated Johnson because she thought she was safer with him inside the government
How is the cabinet selected?
What does the PM also often do? (balance)
Eg. Blair and Prescott
- balances their cabinet to avoid alienating factions
- Eg. Blair included John Prescott as deputy PM from the working class left of the labour party, who had a career in the merchany Navy. Blair showed New Labour hadn’t entirely abandoned socialist ideals.
How is the cabinet selected?
Eg. Mays cabinet.. Remain vs Leave
- balanced
- Phillip Hammond - chancellor of the exchequer (remain)
- Amber Rudd - home secretary (remain)
- Boris Johnson - foreign secretary (leave)
- David Davis - brexit secretary (leave)
especially important since the conservatives were so divided, she had to give prominent positions to both Remain and Leave politicians.
How is the cabinet selected?
PMs right to appoint during a coalition… example
- Eg. Cameron in 2010 had to appoint Nick Clegg as deputy PM and give lib dems 5/22 of the seats in cabinet
How is the cabinet selected?
Eg. Johnson (in contrast to previous example) political domiance in cabinet?
- huge majority
- initially only needed to appoint cabinet members who shared his ideology, since there was no divisions
How significant is the cabinet?
PMs position in cabinet
- in theory the first among equals.
How significant is the cabinet?
large size of the cabinet could…
- prevent constructive debate.
- lends the idea that cabinet is simply to approve pre-determined policies.
How significant is the cabinet?
Since Wilsons government, how has the role of cabinet been questioned?
- PMs are treated presidentially
- PMs acquire info from other sources, they already have an idea of policy direction
How significant is the cabinet?
which development has enhanced the government?
- private office.
How significant is the cabinet?
Which position did Blair introduce?
- Prime ministers chief of staff - cordinated policy. Eg. Jonathon Powell under Blair, this has been retained.
- Prime ministers strategy unit
- Prime ministers delivery unit
latter two set department targets and monitored performance
(cameron abolished roles but blair still strengthened implementation unit)
How significant is the cabinet?
Alaistar Campbell
- grew the Press Office
- meant they had more control over news stories presentation
How significant is the cabinet?
Blair increasingly relied on who rather than the civil service? why? examples?
- SPADS rather than civil servants
- politically appointed. This means they are committed to the same ideology as the PM
- Eg. Dominic Cummings has played a highly partisan role as Johnsons adviser 2019-2020 in determining policy priorities
How significant is the cabinet?
What did Johnson do to prompt Sajid Javids resignation in 2020?
- demanded cabinet members political advisers be approved by No.10
- cabinet office was also grown to supervise the work of each department
How significant is the cabinet?
However, how are they influential?
-
- they are still the most influential members of each party
- memebrs are likely to be ambitious, and those heading powerful departmetns have been compared to feudal barons with the authority to challenge the PM
How significant is the cabinet?
2018 Hunt resisting Mays attempt to move him.
- hunt resisted may’s attempts to move him from the Department of Health
- he managed to expand his role to health and social care secretary
How significant is the cabinet?
cabinet loses confidence: 1990, 2022
- Thatcher and Johnson lost the support of their cabinets, and both had to resign
Prime Ministers and their Cabinet
How do PMs value their cabinet differently? consensus vs divided
- PMs who want to achieve consensus will utilise their cabinet more than those who are single minded
- PMs who are divided will need to consult cabinet to maintain party unity
Prime Ministers and their cabinets
James Callaghan 1976-1979
cabinet
- lacked a majority and led a divided government
- worked hard to achieve consensus on the IMF loan 1976 to stop his government from fracturing
Prime Ministers and their cabinets
Thatcher and her cabinet
- initially one-nation opposition opposed her policies
- she had to ensure cabinet unity by debating controversial policies
- as challenges to her authority decreased, so did her use of cabinet
Prime Ministers and their cabinets
John Majors cabinet 1992-1997
- cabinet and party divided over membership of the EEC
- major tried to achieve comprises in cabinet
Prime Ministers and their cabinets
Blair and his cabinet: a reduced role?
- strong majority and strong ideas
- cabinet became more focused on reporting decisions that had been made elsewhere
- MP Mo Mowlam 2001 that ‘the cabinet itself is dead, it doesn’t have a function to play’
Prime Ministers and their cabinets
however, dont generalise: Johnsons cabinet 2019
- 80 seat majority
- but debated contentious issues in cabinet to maintain unity
- 2021: cabinet discussed the case for new covid restrictions freely. Johnson allowed supporters of the new measures, such as health secretary Sajid Javid, to argue the case with opponetns of new measures including chancellor Rishi Sunak.
Prime Ministers and their cabinets
2022 Johnson and Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Johnson summoned a cabinet in an emergency at 8:30pm in which he briefed members on the governments response to an invasion to ensure the governemnt showed a united front during the emergency
does the cabinet play a central role in British government
During political crises….
yes
- the PM will need to discuss all the options open to them with the cabinet due to the accumulated wisdom
- Eg. Johnson consulted the cabinet on the spread of the Omnicron variant in December 2021
does the cabinet play a central role in British government
leaders who have made decisions without consulting the cabinet
no
- some have a clear political vision that they want to achieve
- Eg. Edward Heath made key decisions with trusted advisers
- Eg. Harold WIlsons advisers were known as the ‘kitchen cabinet’
- Eg. Margaret Thatcher had a clear political vision and pushed issues such as the controversial poll tax through cabinet with insufficient discussion
two examples of how prime ministers can approach cabinet
what happened? divisions?
The IMF Loan 1976
- labour government was divided over whether to accept the IMF loan
- came with stringent cuts in public spending
- chancellor Denis Healey argued there was no alternative
- However, Callaghan needed to prove the government was united on the issue so allowed full debate
- Tony Benn was the leading opponent of the loan
To what extent is the Prime Minister the dominant force in politics?
what does their authority depend on?
- political and economic environment
To what extent is the Prime Minister the dominant force in politics?
Heath 1970-1974
influence and challenge to authority
- dominant personality
- loyal cabinet
- clear vision
- reasonable majority
significantly: got the UK into the EEC in 1973
But: his authority declined after the Miners strikes in 1972 and 1974. With a rise in the cost of oil with global inflation, Heaths economic strategy was undermined
- He called a snap election in February 1974 and he lost 4 seats to Wilson.
To what extent is the Prime Minister the dominant force in politics?
Johnson 2019-2022
- initially dominant with no rivals for leadership
- Brexit secured, united party, weak opposition and favourable press
- partygate ruined this (rightly,lol)
- 41% of Conservative MPs voted against him in a vote of confidence
- when it became known he appointed Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip despite serious allegations having been made against him, Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid resigned within moments of eachother
To what extent is the Prime Minister the dominant force in politics?
yes: policy unit + cabinet office
- both report directly to the prime minister
- PM chooses their membership and they play a key role in developing policy (policy unit) then ensuring departments put it into action (cabinet office)
To what extent is the Prime Minister the dominant force in politics?
PM determines
yes
the main policy objectives of government
To what extent is the Prime Minister the dominant force in politics?
the cabinet is selected
- by the prime minister
- cabinet careers can be advanced or ruined by the PM
To what extent is the Prime Minister the dominant force in politics?
the PM chairs
yes
- cabinet and key cabinet comittees, enabling them to steer the development of government policy
To what extent is the Prime Minister the dominant force in politics?
the prime minister decides…
yes
- cruicial intelligence and military issues in national crisis.
(similiar to congress? acts in deference when there is national crisis)
To what extent is the Prime Minister the dominant force in politics?
PM can only be dominant..
- in certain circumstances
- Eg. May and Europe
- Eg. cameron had to agree to the AV referendum
- Eg. Johnson crumbled after partygate allegations as did his dominance
- Eg. Truss was quickly condemned by the IMF
Presidents in all but in name?
political writer Michael Foley coined the term…?
- ‘spatial leadership’
