How significant is the cabinet?

Question 1

Cabinet Government:

Answer 1

A type of government in which the cabinet plays the key role in the development of policy. Directly contrasts the PM model of government.

Question 2

Prime Ministerial Government:

Answer 2

A model of government in which the PM is dominant and the cabinet is relegated to a subordinate decision-making role.

Question 3

What initiatives did Tony Blair to further increase control from the centre?
Chief of staff:

Answer 3

The position of chief of staff was established to coordinate government policy. Jonathan Powell (held the position under Blair) explained the appointment demonstrated a change from ‘feudal system’ to ‘Napoleonic system’.

Question 4

What initiatives did Tony Blair to further increase control from the centre?
PM’s Strategy….

Answer 4

1. Established the Blair of the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit and Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit.
2. Challenged the autonomy of cabinet ministers by setting their department targets and monitoring their performance.

Question 5

What initiatives did Tony Blair to further increase control from the centre?
Press and SPADS

Answer 5

1. Press Office under Alastair Campbell become more prominent in government- ensures government DS had more control over how news stories were presented and responded to.
2. Increasingly relied on special advisers (SPADS) for advice rather than the civil service.
3. His successors have continued to SPADS to develop policy, because they are determined to the same ideology.
4. For example, Dominic Cummings, played a vital and highly partisan role as BJ’s chief adviser (2019-20) in determining the policy parties and strategies of his government.

Question 6

BJ and Sajid Javid:

Answer 6

1. Was keen to put his stamp very firmly on all aspects of government policy. He demanded that cabinet members’ political advisers be approved by No.10.
2. This prompted Sajid Javid’s resignation as chancellor in 2020.
3. The cabinet office was also given enhanced powers to supervise the work of each department.
4. It is wrong to dismiss the influence of cabinet, the PM would be unwise to ignore the political experience that the cabinet can provide.

Question 7

Jeremy Hunt:

Answer 7

He refused TM’s attempt in 2018 to move him from the then Department of Health and even managed to expand his role to being health and social care secretary.

Question 8

James Callaghan: (1976-79)

Answer 8

1. Lacked a parliamentary majority and led an administration divided between left and right.
2. In 76, they were torn on whether or not to accept a loan from the IMF with accompanying demands for stringent cuts to cut public spending.
3. CoE Denis Healey argued there was no alternative.
4. Callaghan needed to prove they were united on this and so allowed the cabinet to debate it fully.

Question 9

Margaret Thatcher:

Answer 9

1. During her 1st administration (1979-83) she faced opposition from the one-nation Conservatives who distrusted her monetarist policies. Ensured cabinet unity by thoroughly debating controversial policies.
2. Following the Argentinean invasion of the Falklands in April 1982, she summoned an emergency meeting of the cabinet to discuss all diplomatic and military options open.
3. As challenges to her authority diminished so did her use of cabinet in her next administrations.

Question 10

Tony Blair:

Answer 10

1. Had a clear vision and had a strong parliamentary majority.
2. Cabinet became focused on reporting on decisions that had been made elsewhere.
3. Mo Mowlam claimed that ‘cabinet itself is dead, it doesn’t have a function to play.’

Question 11

Boris Johnson:

Answer 11

1. Despite his 80 seat majority, he understood the need to maintain a united cabinet.
2. December 2021, cabinet freely discussed the case for new restrictions to stop the alarming spread of the Omicron variant.
3. Supporters like Savid Javid to argue the case of opponents of new measures like Rishi Sunak. The cabinet lasted double its normal length and decided there was not ‘enough data’ to further restrictions.
4. When Russia invaded Ukraine (24/02/22) he summoned an emergency meeting of the cabinet to fully brief its members on the government’s response.

Question 12

The prime minister also depends on cabinet support to remain in power:

Answer 12

1. In 1990, the failure of the cabinet to offer Margaret Thatcher its full support during Michael Heseltine’s leadership challenge prompted her resignation.
2. The resignations of the CoE Sunak and health secretary SJ, from BJ’s government on 5 July triggered three other cabinet resignations. Johnson announced his resignation on 7 July.
3. Liz sacked her CoE, Kwasi Kwarteng, Liz Truss was left brutally exposed by the shock resignation of her home secretary Suella Braverman (19/10/2022) Truss resigned a day later.

Question 13

Decisions made without cabinet:

Answer 13

1. Tony Blair liked to make decisions quickly and was impatient with long discussions. He discouraged cabinet discussion, preferred to make decisions with ministers in bilateral meetings.
2. In 2017, Theresa May decided to call a snap election, without consulting her cabinet. The manifesto was overseen by her 2 chiefs of staff (Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy) with no cabinet involvement.
3. 2019-2020 BJ’s key strategy decisions were made by made in close cooperation with his chief adviser Dominic Cummings.

Question 14

The cabinet plays a central role in British government:

Answer 14

1. In political crises the PM will need to discuss all their options open to them with the cabinet, as they contain the accumulated wisdom of government.
2. Consulted the cabinet on major crises such as the spread of the Omicron virus (December 2021) and this created genuine debate.
3. Argentinian invasion of the Falklands in April 82 MT summoned an emergency meeting with the cabinet.
4. April 2018, TM called an urgent meeting to discuss a military response to the Syrian government’s presumed use of chemical weapons, she had to know she could rely on the cabinet as she wasn’t planning on consulting the Commons.
5. Russia invaded Ukraine (24 February 2022) Johnson held an emergency cabinet meeting to ensure the cabinet was fully briefed on the government’s response.

Question 15

The cabinet doesn’t play a central role in British government:

Answer 15

1. Harold Macmillan presented an image of unflappability had a clear political agenda that he wanted to achieve, in just 6 years he appointed 4 CoEs closely monitoring their approach to economic policy.
2. Harold Wilson liked to make decisions through a small body of core advisers in his Downing Street flat, known as the ‘kitchen cabinet’ and included key friends and allies such as his secretary Marcia Williams, press secretary Joe Haines and political adviser Bernard Donoghue.
3. MT had a clear political vision of what she wanted to achieve pushed issues such as poll tax without sufficient discussion and discouraged discussion during the Westland crisis.