PM And Cabinet Flashcards
Power of the PM
Prerogative powers
Deciding policy
Commander-in-chief
Patronage
Media profile
Largest party in the commons
Use civil service
Mandate
What is patronage
Choosing cabinet and promoting, demoting and reshuffling members as appropriate
Quote to suggest that PM is dominate over cabinet
Elective dictatorship
What are cabinet committees
Groups of ministers that take collective decisions
Composition decided by PM
Example of a cabinet committee comprising of several related departments
The Social Reform Committee
Secretaries of education, health, work and pensions and social care
Examples of Cabinet committees in 2021
National Security Council
European Union Exit and Trade Committee
Covid-19 Strategy Committee
What does the National Security Council do
Forum for discussion and consideration of government objectives for national security
What does the European Union Exit and Trade Committee do
Overseas the UK’s exit negotiations with the EU
What does the Covid-19 Strategy Committee do
Overseas the government’s response to the pandemic, and plots the direction for the recovery strategy
Example of a PM with a clear policy agenda
Boris Johnson
‘Get Brexit Done’
Example of a PM with a catchy strapline
David Cameron
‘Big Society’
Example of the Civil service helping delivery a policy
The 2012 London Olympics
Example of a clear slogan that helped the conservatives get into power
‘Get Brexit Done’
Why can cabinets disagree
Broad-based leading to factions
Contain ‘big beasts’ (Boris Johnson in Theresa May’s cabinet)
High ambitions and egos
What is individual (ministerial) responsibility
Each minister is personally responsible for the actions and outcomes in their department
Example of individual ministerial responsibility not being followed
Gavin Williamson didn’t resign after the failures surrounding GCSE and A level results in 2020
What is collective responsibility
All ministers, and not just those in cabinet, are bound by government policies and must defend and promote them in public
If not they must resign
Examples of collective responsibility being suspended
David Cameron suspended it before the EU referendum
Free votes
Examples of collective responsibility being ignored
Leaking - Boris Johnson 2018 revealed he would argue at cabinet for £5 billion extra to be spent of the NHS
Example of a resignation due to individual (ministerial) responsibility
Sir Thomas Dugdale - 1954
Failures in compulsory purchase of farmland for a military airfield
Example of a resignation due to collective ministerial responsibility
Iain Duncan Smith - 2016
Left David Cameron’s cabinet over planned cuts to disability benefits (‘a compromise too far’)
Extra examples of resignations due to policy difference
Robin Cook - 2003
Over Iraq war
Caroline Ansell - 2020
Over funding of free school meals during the holidays
Why else do ministers resign
Reshuffle
Underperforming
Ill health
Personal scandal
Example of an MP reigning over ill health
James Brokenshire - 2018
Undergo cancer treatment
Example of MP resigning due to personal scandal
Matt Hancock - 2021
Broke rules on social distancing while conducting a secret affair
