examples showing the PM having lots of influence in dictating events

Question 1

what did Thatcher introduce in 1990?

Answer 1

Poll tax

Question 2

what was the poll tax?

Answer 2

a regressive tax (everyone paid the same amount regardless of their earnings) on all over 18s who lived in a residence

Question 3

what were the criticisms of the poll tax?

Answer 3

it made the rich ricer and the poor poorer
the original estimate for the tax more than doubled

Question 4

what percentage of the public were against the poll tax + what fraction didn’t pay it?

Answer 4

up to 70% were against it, 1/5 didn’t pay it

Question 5

how did the poll tax show the ability of a PM to dictate policy?

Answer 5

-even though the tax was opposed in Scotland (where it was first introduced) she had the power to continue to introduce it
-it was a policy personally associated with Thatcher

Question 6

how did the poll tax show the inability of a PM to dictate policy?

Answer 6

-major poll tax riots broke out in London
-tax had high levels of evasion
-media openly criticised it
-lots of internal opposition, leading to a leadership challenge and Thatcher failing to win sufficient votes in the first ballot to be assured of final victory
-her own party forced her to resign in nov 1990

Question 7

what did Blair do in 2003?

Answer 7

-he deployed British troops in Iraq after being asked to by Bush on the moral grounds of the removal of weapons of mass destruction

Question 8

why was the invasion controversial?

Answer 8

-Britain engaged in the war without full support from the UN
-allegations of human rights abuses committed by British soldiers

Question 9

how does the invasion of Iraq show the ability of a PM to dictate policy?

Answer 9

-the decision was mainly for Blair to cement his strong personal relationship with President Bush, and to deepen the ‘coalition of the willing’

Question 10

how does the invasion of Iraq show the inability of a PM to dictate policy?

Answer 10

-reports e.g. Lord Butler’s report were very critical of actions taken by Blair personally
-Blair ignored criticism that the legal basis for going to war hadn’t been fully evaluated
-2 key cabinet ministers resigned + a gov. scientist committed suicide –> weakened ~Blair’s position and increased scrutiny of gov.