Executive case studies and specific information

Question 1

Johnson chose Richard Sharp, a Tory sympathiser who had organised him a loan, as BBC chair in 2021 - he subsequently resigned in 2023

Answer 1

example of PM having power over public appointments, sometimes unconstrained

Question 2

Johnson wanted an election to get a parliamentary majority to get Brexit done almost as soon as he took over from May in summer 2019 but Labour refused to give support until December

Answer 2

the affect of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011-2021 on the PM’s ability to call an early election

Question 3

• Thatcher with the Falklands 1982
• Blair with Kosovo 1999, Sierra Leone 2000 and Iraq 2003

Answer 3

examples of the prime minister exercising their prerogative powers over foreign policy

Question 4

in 2013, Cameron let parliament vote on a potential air strike against the Syrian government after they had used chemical weapons in the civil war. Labour and some Conservatives and Liberal Democrats voted against so he couldn’t obtain approval. he respected the decision, viewing it as also representing the general consensus of the public

Answer 4

evidence of the PM not exercising their royal prerogative powers and instead listening to the wishes of parliament, who ultimately made the decision

Question 4

another vote on action in Syria in 2015 was succesful

Answer 4

showed the vulnerability of his position, especially in coalition government - this affected his ability to exercise his prime ministerial powers

Question 5

Johnson appointed only pro-Brexit MPs to cabinet

Answer 5

not diverse but allowed him to have greater control over cabinet

Question 6

• Geoffery Howe resigned from Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet in 1989 over her increasingly eurosceptic views
• Robin Cooke and Claire Short resigned from Blair’s cabinet in 2003 over the Iraq war

Answer 6

it’s rare for the cabinet to seriously question a prime ministerial initiative, if they do they will resign

Question 7

May lost 11 ministers in 18 months (November 2017 - May 2019), mostly over Brexit

Answer 7

example of cabinet resignations that were disastrous as it weakened her authority and control over cabinet and lead to her eventual resignation

Question 8

March 2017 - Phillip Hammond’s proposal to increase national insurance for the self-employed was resisted by all oppotion parties and some Torie rebels so was dropped as a policy

Answer 8

shows a budget which is the formal acceptance of government was not fully accepted and shows the limits to the chancellor’s power of policy and legislation

Question 9

May’s diverse cabinet on Brexit failed due to her struggling to control it and come up with an accepted deal

Answer 9

shows PM’s weakness in legislating and setting policy and the power of cabinet over the PM

Question 10

how was Thatcher removed in 1990

Answer 10

by a leadership contest that was encouraged by her cabinet

Question 11

how were Tony Blair 2007 and Theresa May 2019 removed

Answer 11

by public scrutiny encouraged by the cabinet

Question 12

Cameron in 2015 was forced by his cabinet to suspend collective responsibility in the EU referendum in order to start their individual campaigns

Answer 12

example of a time the cabinet overided a PM by summoning enough political will and coming up with an altenative policy, shows they can decide on government policy.

circumstances around which CCR was suspended

Question 13

in the July 2007 London Terrorist attacks Blair called cabinet for an emegency meeting

Answer 13

example of an emergency cabinet meeting, one of their roles is to deal with crises

Question 14

Thatcher called her cabinet before sending troops to the Falklands and Blair called his before action in Iraq

Answer 14

examples of those with royal prerogative powers still consulting their cabinet before deciding fully on foreign policy decisions

Question 15

Johnson would make decisions in covid over whatsapp chats that could be deleted

Answer 15

growth of more informal meeting style which also excludes much of the cabinet

Question 16

removal of Thatcher in 1990, May in 2019 and Johnson in 2022 resulted from what

Answer 16

ministerial resignations, exercising their role of supporting and removing the PM

Question 17

Tony Blair held a vote in parliament over action in Iraq 2003

Answer 17

made it clear he didn’t need to but got their approval to legitimise his decision

Question 18

in 2020, Johnson signed the EU divorce treaty’

Answer 18

the PM exercising their royal prerogative powers to make foreign treaties, on his own

Question 19

Tony Blair’s ‘sofa government’ allowed him to convince minister’s of his way of thinking

Answer 19

meant less decisions in his government were made in cabinet and often decided beforehand - furthers the idea that cabinet is just a ‘rubber stamp’

Question 20

Johnson resigned from May’s cabinet as foreign secretary in 2018 over her ‘soft Brexit’

Answer 20

shows ministers dropping collective responsibility in public, lead to May’s eventual resignatoin, very damaging to her

Question 21

Cameron chose Osborne as his chancellor in 2010

Answer 21

example of a PM appointing close allies to cabinet

Question 22

• Johnson appointed Priti Patel to cabinet to represent the right wing
• Blair chose Prescott to be his deputy PM to appease left wingers in his party

Answer 22

examples of a PM appointing ministers who can represent a particular section of their party

Question 23

Cameron appointed Oliver Letwin to the cabinet office fo rhis administrative skills

Answer 23

example of a PM appointing based of potential and ability to run a department

Question 24

May appointed her university friend Damien Green as her first secretary of state

Answer 24

example of a PM appointing a close personal friend

Question 25

Johnson was appointed by May as he was a 'big beast' on Brexit outside the party

Answer 25

example of a PM appointing popular party figures and those who posed a threat to them outside the cabinet

Question 26

May chose Damien Hinds as Secretary of State for education

Answer 26

example of a PM appointing those who are good at managing a department to their cabinet

Question 27

- Gavin Williamson was sacked as education secretary in september 2021 after the a-level results scandal - Amber Rudd resigned as work and pensions secretary in 2019 over Johnson's expelling of MPs and Brexit

Answer 27

examples when a vacancy in cabinet instigated a reshuffle

Question 28

in July 2014 Gove was removed as education secretary in a reshuffle after continually upsetting teaching unions

Answer 28

example of a cabinet reshuffle due to wanting to change policy direction and place different emphasis on other policies

Question 29

May bought Gove back as environment secretary in June 2017 as he was an outspoken Brexiteer

Answer 29

examples of a reshuffle due to wanting to promote allies and give big characters a role, having the best team in place

Question 30

Gavin Williamson was removed from the cabinet in September 2021 for mishaps in covid education and 2020 results day after he failed to resign

Answer 30

example of a reshuffle to remove underperforming ministers also shows a minister not following IMR on policy as he refused to resign and had to be sacked

Question 31

Rory Stewart was appointed to May's cabinet in 2019 due to successes as an environment and prison's minister

Answer 31

example of a reshuffle to promote ministers and bring in new ones

Question 32

a meeting of senior ministers to discuss Brexit in May 2018 was nicknamed the 'Brexit war cabinet'

Answer 32

an example of a specific cabinet committee

Question 33

in 2014, Gove was forced by the cabinet secretary to back down in row with May over who was responsible for extremism in schools

Answer 33

example of the cabinet secretary being an impartial arbitrator

Question 34

Simon Case was the one to investigate Partygate (did stop after it was found he may have been involved and the case was handed to Sue Gray)

Answer 34

example of the cabinet secretary being an impartial arbitrator

Question 35

Tony Blair's sofa government (SPAD's and senior civil servants)

Answer 35

- Jonathon Powell, chief of staff - Alastair Campbell, director of communications - Sally Morgan, director of government relations (between Blair and the party, was essential in the lead up to war) - Pat Mcfadden - political secretary

Question 36

between 1997-2021, there has been a 171% increase of SPADs in government

Answer 36

growing use of SPADs since Blair

Question 37

Andy Coulson, Cameron's director of communications, was a news editor previously and then sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2014 for phone hacking. left office in 2011 due to continued media coverage on hacking at his previous post

Answer 37

controversial SPADs

Question 38

Alastair Campbell was seen as the founder of modern day 'spin doctoring' and was famous for dominating government and controlling elected ministers

Answer 38

controversial SPADs

Question 39

Dominic Cummings broke covid rules in visiting Barnard castle to 'test his eyesight', sacked November 2020 due to covid breaches - went on to expose Johnson for saying "let the bodies pile high" (of covid victims) and encouraging herd immunity at the start of the pandemic. also claimed Johnson was 'unfit for office'

Answer 39

controversial SPADs

Question 40

May's top chief of staff Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill who both 'left' Conservatives on economic matters and starting the 'levelling up' agenda, they were resented by ERG ministers and were thus sacked after the 2017 election

Answer 40

controversial SPADs

Question 40

Sue Gray was a former civil servant (a cabinet office inquirty found she broke civil service code) who was Starmer's chief of staff July-October 2024. She resigned due to mass media attention, particularly due to having a salary £3000 more than Starmer's and the freebies scandal

Answer 40

controversial SPADs

Question 41

Thatcher' high profile SPAD Bernard Ingham was her press officer. use of SPADs increases from this point and expands the once tiny cabinet office department

Answer 41

first intial popualr use of SPADs

Question 41

- Thatcher 1979-87 - Blair 1997-2005

Answer 41

PM's who had a united party and so lots of power

Question 42

Johnson in 2019 had a lot of new MP's, what does this mean in theory?

Answer 42

they should be more impressionable and easier to control than more experienced MPs - thus sources their power from parliament

Question 43

May had less authority in parliament after 2017 as she was seen to depend on the DUP, Irish Union Party, for confidence and supply

Answer 43

example of a PM who wasn't able to source much power from parliament

Question 44

in 1995 Major won a leadership election he called whilst staying PM to silence eurosceptic critic John Redwood

Answer 44

example of a PM reasserting their control over parliament

Question 45

most tories from 2019 believed Johnson should stay as leader to help them win the next election, only when partygate turned polls consistently negative did they get rid of him

Answer 45

shows the 'riding of the coatails' theory in which MPs support a PM they believe is popular with the electorate

Question 46

the Fixed Terms Parliaments Act 2011-2021

Answer 46

prevented elections being called earlier than their set date without the approval of parliament or a vote of no confidence triggering it - reduced the royal prerogative powers of the PM

Question 47

Johnson wanted an early elction to get a majority to get Brexit done almost as soon as he took over from May. however, Labour refused to to give support until December

Answer 47

affect of the FTPA on PM's powers

Question 47

in 2019 Johnson controversially dismissed (prorogued) parliament at the height of the Brexit crisis for five weeks to get his Brexit deal through without scrutiny

Answer 47

unlawful, as ruled by the supreme court, exercising of PM's power to prorogue parliament

Question 48

examples of PM's power being affected by events

Answer 48

- Thatcher's power increased after they fought of the Falklands invasion - Brown hurt by 2008 financial crisis - May post 2016 referendum, affected by its dominance - the 'need to get Brexit done' Johnson was not suited to global health emergency

Question 49

May tried to create a united party by including hard, Johnson and Soft, Rudd and Lidington Brexiteers.

Answer 49

example of a PM appointing ministers that will unite the party

Question 50

Johnson felt strong enough to purge the soft Brexiteers from his cabinet

Answer 50

this allowed him greater control over parliament

Question 51

Brown and Cameron reliant on their close allies Mandelson and Osborne

Answer 51

encouraged unity and further support for themselves

Question 52

Cameron included two fromer party leaders William Hague and Ian Duncan Smith

Answer 52

prioritising experience when chosing ministers

Question 53

May removed experienced George Osborne

Answer 53

didn't favour experience in appointing ministers

Question 54

sunak was appointed from Chief Secretary to Chancellor of the Exchequor in 2020

Answer 54

example of ministers being appointed to cabinet based off ability

Question 55

Cameron made lib dem leader Nick Clegg deputy PM and allowe dhim a say in 4 other lib dem appointments

Answer 55

taking into account the coalition situation, attempting to create unity and cohesion

Question 56

Cameron increased proportion of women in cabine to nearly half

Answer 56

creating a diverse cabinet

Question 57

cabinet influential on May's Brexit Withdrawl Agreement

Answer 57

due to her weakness in cabinet, it was a genuine sounding board for ideas and to decide policy which is normally rare

Question 57

Foreign Secretary Howe and Chancellor Lawson resigned from Thatcher's government over her eurosceptic views - this railroading in 1989 perticipated her fall

Answer 57

examples of ministers objecting to being sidelined in cabinet and not allowing the PM to make as many decisions on their own without cabinet

Question 58

cabinet committees were influential during coaltion due to their being genuine policy differences

Answer 58

succesful use of cabinet committes to make decisions

Question 59

Blair often bypassed cabinet committees

Answer 59

irregular use of cabinet committees to make policy decisions, instead done by 'sofa government'

Question 60

hard Brexiteers Gove and Johnson called the shots in May's premiership

Answer 60

examples of a group of ministers becoming powerful as they unite over a shared interest

Question 61

Johnson resigned as foreign secretary in 2019 over May's 'soft Brexit'

Answer 61

example of a minister following CCR

Question 62

Gavin Williamson sacked as defence secretary in 2019 after leaking information from a top-level national security council meeting

Answer 62

example of a minister not following CCR

Question 63

times CCR was suspended | three times

Answer 63

- during coalition on issues were no agreement had been reached e.g. on the alternative vote referendum (torys campaigned no, lib dems yes), issues such as Trident and new nuclear power stations and Clegg promised not to back Cameron if he sought parliamentary approval to bomb islamic state targets in Syria - by Cameron in the run up to the 2016 Brexit referendum - unofficially by May from 2017-18 over such strong disagreement on withdrawal agreement

Question 64

which two MPs refused to attend selected committees when requested 2017-22

Answer 64

Johnson and Patel

Question 65

Amber Rudd resigned in 2018 when it was realised she had misled Home Affairs Select Committee over immigration targets

Answer 65

(rare) example of a minister following IMR and resigning over policy failure

Question 66

Gavin Williamson refused to resign in 2020 over failed Alevel results during covid and instead blamed the head of Ofqual who did resign

Answer 66

example of a minister failing to follow IMR over policy failure

Question 67

Patel attended undisclosed meetings with Israeli officials and resigned as secretary of state for international development

Answer 67

example of a minister following IMR over not following the code of conduct

Question 68

Patel didn't resign as home secretary after it was found she broke the ministerial code in bullying civil servants

Answer 68

example of a minister not following IMR over misconduct and of not resigning due to the support of a strong PM (Johnson)

Question 69

Johnson repeatedly criticised May's EU withdrawl agreement to the pres (Daily Mail and the Sun)

Answer 69

example of a minister not followin CCR and not resigning

Question 70

Thatcher's deptuy PM Howe resigned in 1990 over her increasing euroscepticism

Answer 70

example of a minister following CCR

Question 71

Rishi Sunak and Savid Javid resigned in 2022 over Johnson's increasingly controversial government and conduct

Answer 71

example of ministers following IMR 1

Question 72

Carrington resigned in 1982 over failure to spot Falklands threat

Answer 72

example of a minister following IMR over policy failure

Question 73

on the 15th January 2019, 118 Tory MPs rebelled in a parliamentry vote over May's Brexit deal proposals and the government lost by 230 votes

Answer 73

biggest parliamentary defeat in history and since the government was defeated on a leading manifesto committment they should've resigned but didn't - challenge to CCR