Evaluate the view that Prime Minister's rarely face serious limitations on their powers.

Question 1

Introduction - Themes

Answer 1

• Cabinet
• Parliament
• Policy

Question 2

Introduction - Argument

Answer 2

In theory the Prime Minister does not face serious limitations to their power as they have the prerogative powers, however, in reality they cannot do whatever they wish and are effectively checked

Question 3

Disagree - Cabinet - Point

Answer 3

The Prime Minister has an immense amount of control when it comes to the Cabinet - the PM has the ability to choose the people within, agenda of the meeting and all members are bound by CCR

Question 4

Disagree - Cabinet - Examples

Answer 4

• One of the prerogative powers of the Prime Minister is to choose who goes within their Cabinet - this tends to include their political allies. Rishi Sunak promoted his close allies include Alex Chalk to Justice Secretary
• Despite the controversies of the Illegal Immigration Bill, due to Collective Cabinet Responsibility all Cabinet members have voted in favour of the bill and are forced to support it in public

Question 5

Agree - Cabinet - Point

Answer 5

It is incorrect to assume that the Prime Minister can simply dominate its Cabinet. The support of the Cabinet is pivotal to a Prime Minister’s success and not every person in Cabinet is going to be the PM’s ally

Question 6

Agree - Cabinet - Examples

Answer 6

• LJB famously said it is ‘better to have your enemies inside your tent than outside pissing in.’ Rishi Sunak has been forced to include his leadership rivals Kemi Badenoch and Penny Mordaunt
• The Cabinet can also make or break a PM - Johnson was forced to resign when 5 members of his Cabinet including Sajid and Sunak resigned

Question 7

Disagree - Parliament - Point

Answer 7

When the Prime Minister has a large majority within Parliament it often means that they face little objection to their bills and are able to essentially proceed as they wish. The Conservatives currently have an 80 majority, and this has given the PM a lot of power

Question 8

Disagree - Parliament - Examples

Answer 8

• In 2020, Boris Johnson was able to pass the Covid Act which was passed in a matter of 6 days and without a vote in Parliament, despite taking away many fundamental rights
• PMs can appoint people for peerages in the Lords. This has meant there is significant cronyism. Johnson appointed his brother and 1 in 10 Tory peers have given over £100,000 to the Conservative Party

Question 9

Agree - Parliament - Point

Answer 9

Parliament does play an important role in scrutinising and the backbenchers will often speak out against the Prime Minister where the Cabinet Ministers cannot

Question 10

Agree - Parliament - Examples

Answer 10

• The Windsor Protocol is the Northern Irish Brexit Deal, in a vote in Parliament, 22 Conservative backbenchers voted against the Bill. Including Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Priti Patel
• Although no ‘Vote of No Confidence’ has been successful since 1979, they are effective at putting pressure on the PM. Boris Johnson won his vote in June 2022, but under a month later he was forced to resign

Question 11

Disagree - Policies - Point

Answer 11

Prime Ministers are able to dominate a lot of policy areas and able to pass much of the legislation they set out to do, especially if they have a large majority in Parliament

Question 12

Disagree - Policies - Examples

Answer 12

• Boris Johnson was a strong Eurosceptic, as a result of his hard line ‘Get Brexit Done,’ he was able to negotiate a Brexit deal and Britain formally left the EU on 31 January 2020
• When Johnson was PM, he largely dominated media about the Ukraine War, not the foreign secretary

Question 13

Agree - Policies - Point

Answer 13

It is incorrect to assume that it is the Prime Minister which decides the majority of the policy - this is the job of they party as a whole through election manifestos. Without the support of the party and public, Prime Ministers can find it exceptionally difficult to control

Question 14

Agree - Policies - Examples

Answer 14

• Liz Truss followed the ideology of New Right, her Autumn mini-budget reflected this. However, the public and the media were very hostile which result in her having to make U-turn
• The Bill of Rights was part of the Conservative Party’s 2019 Manifesto - this means it was decided by the party as a whole, not just Boris Johnson