ETVT that political loyalty is the most important factor governing the PM selection of minsters Flashcards
- for political loyalty vs ideological balance
Pm seek to to reward the loyalty of key allies and bring in ministers they know will accept collective ministerial reponsibility and support govt policy in public
PM must be sure they won’t detsabkiise and embarrass the governemnt
Boris Johnson’s 2020 Cabinet Reshuffle:
Sacked Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith for opposing a no-deal Brexit.
Replaced him with ally Brandon Smith, despite Smith’s effectiveness in restoring the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Keir Starmer’s First Cabinet:
Prioritised loyalty and political reliability.
Key allies include Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden.
Liz Truss’ Cabinet Selection:
Favored loyalty over experience, appointing those who backed her leadership campaign.
Kwasi Kwarteng, a close ally, was made Chancellor despite limited government experience.
- against political loyalty vs ideological balance
Prime Ministers must balance loyalty with party unity:
Cabinets often include different party factions to maintain unity.
Keeping opponents in the cabinet enforces collective responsibility, preventing public dissent.
Examples of ideological balance in cabinets:
Theresa May: Mixed Brexiteers (Boris Johnson, David Davis) and Remainers (Philip Hammond, Jeremy Hunt).
Boris Johnson (2019): Gave cabinet roles to former leadership rivals Matt Hancock, Michael Gove, Dominic Raab, and Sajid Javid.
Counterpoint – Shift away from ideological balance:
Popular PMs with strong majorities often appoint like-minded allies and remove opponents.
Boris Johnson (2019): Appointed mainly Brexiteers, including Priti Patel (Home Secretary) and Dominic Raab (Foreign Secretary).
Liz Truss (2022): Did not offer Rishi Sunak a cabinet role after defeating him.
Keir Starmer (2024): Excluded left-wing Labour MPs; Angela Rayner is the closest link to Corbyn’s leadership.
- against competence and experience vs political loyalty
PMs consider competence & experience when selecting ministers.
Ministers need:
Ability to run complex departments.
Strong media communication skills.
Examples of competence-based appointments:
Jeremy Hunt (Chancellor) – Experienced, appointed by both Truss & Sunak.
Rachel Reeves (Chancellor) – Ex-Shadow Chancellor & Bank of England economist.
Yvette Cooper (Home Secretary) – Former minister under Blair & Brown.
James Timpson (Prisons Minister) – Business leader with prison rehabilitation expertise.
Future leadership considerations:
Liz Truss was promoted early by Cameron (2012), aiding her rise to PM.
- for competence and experience vs political loyalty
Loyalty often outweighs competence in ministerial selection.
Examples of inexperienced but loyal ministers:
Chris Grayling (“Failing Grayling”) – Granted ferry contract to a company with no ferries.
Liz Truss’ Cabinet (2022) – Least experienced in modern history (average 17 months ministerial experience).
Kwasi Kwarteng (Chancellor) – Had less than 2 years cabinet experience before appointment.
James Cleverly (Foreign Secretary) – Limited government experience before key role.
- against direct rep vs political loyalty
Recent PMs aim for more diverse cabinets (gender & ethnicity).
Key examples:
Blair (2006): Margaret Beckett – First female Foreign Secretary.
Brown (2007): Jacqui Smith – First female Home Secretary.
Johnson (2019): 6 ethnic minority ministers, incl. Sunak & Patel in top roles.
Starmer (2024): 11/21 women (incl. first female Chancellor) but only 3 ethnic minority members (fewer than Johnson & Sunak).
- for direct rep vs political loyalty
Diversity is considered but has limits, especially in gender representation.
Politics remains dominated by white men.
Examples of lack of diversity:
Coalition government (2010): Only 4 women in the first cabinet.
Loyalty & competence often take priority, as they help PMs maintain power and control
sections
political loyalty vs ideological balance
vscomeptence and experience
vs direct rep and diversity
examples
BJ 202o cabinet reshuffle
keirs first cabinet
liz truss
examples of ideological balance in cabinets
like minded allies and remove opponents
competence based opp
inexperienced but loyal
diverse cabinets:
blair
brown
BJ
Starmer
diversity In coalition govt 2010
Sacked Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith for opposing a no-deal Brexit.
Replaced him with ally Brandon Smith, despite Smith’s effectiveness in restoring the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Keir Starmer’s First Cabinet:
Prioritised loyalty and political reliability.
Key allies include Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden.
Liz Truss’ Cabinet Selection:
Favored loyalty over experience, appointing those who backed her leadership campaign.
Kwasi Kwarteng, a close ally, was made Chancellor despite limited government experience.
Examples of ideological balance in cabinets:
Theresa May: Mixed Brexiteers (Boris Johnson, David Davis) and Remainers (Philip Hammond, Jeremy Hunt).
Boris Johnson (2019): Gave cabinet roles to former leadership rivals Matt Hancock, Michael Gove, Dominic Raab, and Sajid Javid.
Popular PMs with strong majorities often appoint like-minded allies and remove opponents.
Boris Johnson (2019): Appointed mainly Brexiteers, including Priti Patel (Home Secretary) and Dominic Raab (Foreign Secretary).
Liz Truss (2022): Did not offer Rishi Sunak a cabinet role after defeating him.
Keir Starmer (2024): Excluded left-wing Labour MPs; Angela Rayner is the closest link to Corbyn’s leadership.
Jeremy Hunt (Chancellor) – Experienced, appointed by both Truss & Sunak.
Rachel Reeves (Chancellor) – Ex-Shadow Chancellor & Bank of England economist.
Yvette Cooper (Home Secretary) – Former minister under Blair & Brown.
James Timpson (Prisons Minister) – Business leader with prison rehabilitation expertise.
Future leadership considerations:
Liz Truss was promoted early by Cameron (2012), aiding her rise to PM.
Coalition government (2010): Only 4 women in the first cabinet.
LOA
no
