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Politics Paper 2 > Johnson > Flashcards

Johnson Flashcards

1
Q

How can we describe Johnson’s persona?

A
  • ‘larger than life’ individual
  • extrovert personality
  • exuded optimism
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2
Q

How did Johnson set himself apart from his predecessors and rivals?

A
  • governed in a highly individual manner
  • possessed a flair and charisma that distinguished him
  • disregarded many of the rules and conventions that usually constrain the PM
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3
Q

What forced Johnson to resign?

A

his personality and conduct aroused such mistrust that he lost the confidence of his ministerial and parliamentary colleagues

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4
Q

What aspects of Johnson’s premiership can we evaluate?

A
  1. the transition from a minority government to a much more powerful PM
  2. delivery of the most important policy pledge BREXIT
  3. handling of COVID as an example of crisis management
  4. causes of his downfall and what it reveals about the constraints on power of PM
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5
Q

What two factors governed Johnson’s selection of Cabinet ministers?

A
  1. establishing his own authority (Nadine Dorries)
  2. rewarding loyal allies and conciliating potential rivals (Steve Barclay)
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6
Q

Give an example of the diversity in Johnson’s cabinet

A

Sajid Javid - first chancellor of exchequer
Priti Patel - home secretary
both from modest immigrant family backgrounds

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7
Q

What was Johnson’s relationship with his cabinet like?

A
  • he was reluctant to lose ministers who came under pressure in Parliament or in the media
    e.g. Matt Hancock or Priti Patel
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8
Q

How many cabinet committees were set up during Johnson’s presidency?

A

Oct 2021 gave a total of 20 committees and sub committees

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9
Q

Describe Johnson’s use of cabinet committees

A

he had a preference for creating separate committees for ‘strategy’ and ‘operations’ in several policy areas

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10
Q

Give an example of a cabinet committee Johnson set up

A

Brexit war cabinet - to oversee the UK’s departure from the EU
made up of Johnson, Javid, Gov, Barclay and Cox

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11
Q

What does Johnson’s arrangements of cabinet committees show?

A

the power of the PM to reshape the machinery of central government

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12
Q

Give an example of Johnson selecting a minister to establish his own authority

A

replacing Javid with Sunak
Javid wanted to keep tabs on government spending
Sunak was regarded as a much less experienced figure who would be unlikely to challenge Johnson

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13
Q

What does Johnson’s replacement of Javid with Sunak reveal?

A
  • BK strengthening his own personal powers as PM
  • this was a bid to reduce to Chancellor’s independence
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14
Q

What was significant about the Sep 2021 cabinet reshuffle?

A
  • attempts to refresh the appearance of the front bench
  • removing ministerial ‘dead wood’
    e.g. Gavin Williamson as Education minister removed for his lack of competence
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15
Q

In recent decades how has the relationship between PM and cabinet changed?

A
  • PMs often bypass cabinet
  • instead have key decisions take at committee or small group level
  • however, when a controversial and potentially unpopular decision has to be taken the PM will want the backing of all colleagues so will convene a cabinet meeting
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16
Q

How did the balance of power between Johnson and his cabinet shift in the final months of his premiership?

A

his authority was undermined by a series of scandals and misjudgement
he lost the confidence of his cabinet

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17
Q

Give examples of the scandals and misjudgements that led to Johnson’s final resignation

A
  • Johnson tried to block the suspension of Owen Paterson (a former minister charged with undertaking paid lobbying)
  • partygate to which he continually defended
  • evasive response to being questioned about Chris Pincher (chief whip, sexual misconduct allegations)
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18
Q

How did Johnson lose the confidence of his cabinet?

A
  • Javid resigned as Health Secretary citing his objections to PM’s moral conduct
  • Sunak quit over differences on economic policy
  • Zahawi and Donelan also left
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19
Q

Why was Johnson forced to announce his own resignation?

A

due to the unprecedented number of ministers that either left the government or called him to go

20
Q

Which PM could be draw a parallel with the fall of Johnson?

A

Thatcher
both PMs lost support among their own MPs who came to see them as potential electoral liabilities and both stepped down after losing the confidence of the cabinet

21
Q

How does Johnson’s downfall differ to Thatcher’s?

A
  • she departed in an orderly manner after gauging the views of her cabinet colleagues
  • Johnson, by contrast, tried to cling on amid the wave of resignations and scandals
22
Q

Describe Johnson’s resignation statement

A
  • defiant
  • blaming the herd instinct of MPs for his downfall
23
Q

What did Johnson say in his final PMQs?

A

he left the door open to a comeback declaring “mission largely accomplished - for now”

24
Q

Which minister did Johnson sack and why?

A

Michael Gove for privately advising Johnson to go

25
Q

How can we argue Johnson’s control of cabinet was closer to that exercised by Thatcher and Blair?

A

they all enjoyed substantial parliamentary majorities

26
Q

How can we contrast Johnson’s handling of cabinet to Major’s?

A
  • Major took care rewarding rivals for Conservative Party leadership and sought to preserve a balance between pro Europeans and Eurosceptics
  • there was a widespread perception of his weakness which may explain Johnson’s determination to run a more tightly controlled government
27
Q

What was the most important limitation on Johnson’s power?

A

he initially headed a minority government - this meant he was restricted by many opposition MPs and Conservative rebels who were not prepared to see a no deal Brexit occur

28
Q

How did Johnson overcome the limiting minority government?

A

removing the whip from Tory MPs meaning he entered 2019 general election with party candidates who were united in his view

29
Q

What gave Johnson a clear mandate for action?

A

his repetitive sloganeering ‘Get Brexit Done’

30
Q

What is the biggest problem arising from Brexit?

A

that NI now had a land border with an EU state

31
Q

How was Johnson ultimately tested?

A

coronavirus pandemic by which it posed as a test for the individual (Johnson) who had ultimate responsibility for national crisis management

32
Q

How did Johnson earn credit during the pandemic?

A
  • willingness to authorise an extensive economic aid package
  • slogan “stay at home, support our NHS, save lives”
  • government paid up to 80% of wages for workers that have been ‘furloughed’
33
Q

When and why did Johnson’s popularity decrease?

A
  • widespread feeling that he had misjudged public opinion
  • refusal to sack Dominic Cummings over alleged breach of lockdown rules
34
Q

Describe the nature of the cabinet during the coronavirus pandemic

A

“doves” such as Gove and Hancock who favoured a restrictive approach
“hawks” such as Sunak and Patel who wanted to prioritise the needs of business
this was summarised in the media as the “lives versus livelihoods debate”

35
Q

How can we describe Johnson’s response to the covid?

A
  • “too hesitant”
  • “too complacent”
  • “reluctant to impose restrictions on people’s personal freedoms”
36
Q

Why was Johnson keen to lift restrictions as soon as possible?

A

many of his own MPs wanted to lift the restrictions as soon as possible in order to restart the economy

37
Q

What did covid disrupt within parliamentary business?

A

economic activity - on such a scale that it dwarfed the 2008 economic crisis
UK economy shrank by 11% during 2020

38
Q

What do critics argue about Johnson’s handling of the pandemic?

A

it demonstrates Johnson’s trait they had long been wary of - his preference for the ‘bigger’ picture over mastery of policy detail

39
Q

Give examples where Johnson proved his incompetency at handing the pandemic

A
  • at one point he was unable to recall his own government’s rules on social mixing
  • on another occasion he seemed to speak for the whole of the UK when in reality the devolved bodies pursue their own policies on public health
40
Q

Give an example of Johnson facing increased opposition from MPs during the pandemic

A
  • covid passes bill
  • 99 tory rebels
  • though the bill passed this heavily undermined his power and image
41
Q

What did the pandemic highlight about the power of the PM?

A
  • highlights the centrality of the PM in the UK political system
  • there was an unwillingness on the part of ministers to take decisions whilst Johnson was in hospital
42
Q

What two factors in particular was Johnson criticised for during his premiership?

A
  1. his reluctancy to sack individuals when mistakes were made e.g. Cummings, Hancock, Patel
  2. lacking detailed grasp of policy e.g. delay of ‘levelling up’ policy and delay of pledge to resolve the crisis in social care for the elderly
43
Q

How did Johnson manage to evade parliamentary scrutiny?

A
  • during pandemic MPs had few opportunities to question ministers
  • Starmer therefore was placed at a disadvantage when it came to challenging Johnson at PMQ’s
  • Commons given just 24 hrs to debate trade agreement with EU
44
Q

What did Johnson fact an outbreak on within his party?

A

a worrying outbreak of factionalism - following the model of the European Research Group a number of backbenchers formed groups centred on particular issues

45
Q

Name a source of tension within Johnson’s parliamentary session

A

the series of embarrassing policy U-turns e.g. initial opposition to the extension of free school meals but reversed his position after a public campaign by Rashford

46
Q

Name the most serious problem during Johnson’s parliamentary session

A
  • his own personality
  • issues such as ‘partygate’ indicate he could not be trusted to tell the truth or to take responsibility for his own errors

Politics Paper 2 (13 decks)

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