PM and Cabinet 3a How powerful are PMs? Flashcards
What are the powers of the PM?
- They can appoint ministers, either when they’re coming into power or when they are reshuffling the cabinet positions at any time. This is one of the greatest sources of PM power - patronage.
- They can sign treaties with other countries, this is usually where PM’s use their royal prerogative powers.
- Grant Honours - The PM draws up a list of individuals who they feel deserve honours before presenting it to the queen. May gave a knighthood to her fav cricketer, Geoffrey Boycott. She also gave her former joint chiefs of staff, Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill, orders of the British Empire for Chivalry.
- PMs can reshuffle the cabinet so that it reflects their needs - Said Javid resigned after Johnson asked him to fire his team of aides. He also removed the majority of Cabinet ministers who believed in remaining. Johnson removed the Conservative Whip from 21 MPs who didn’t vote for the Brexit agreement.
What are the constraints of the PM?
- PM is the party leader and commands the loyalty from their party members in the Cabinet and in Parliament.
- MPs know that the image of the pM reflects on them and they entire party so they are weary as it could affect their chances of reelection.
- loss of relationship with they party they lead can damage PMs. Blair lost support from a large number of Labour members who protested to stop the Iraq War, which weakened his control. Jeremy Corbyn spoke as the Stop the War rally and he campaigned against Blair’s position.
- Disastrous 2017 election results for the conservatives in the election which meant that May had to resign soon after.
- Gordon Brown and Theresa May struggled with negative press which contributed to why they lost power.
How did Edward Heath react to events?
He was dominant, he had a loyal cabinet and a workable parliamentary majority - he wanted to modernise the UK.
Miner’s strikes in 1972 and 1974 threatened the nation’s energy supplies. Dramatic costs in oil led to a huge increase in global inflation which undermined his government’s economic strategy. He called a snap general election in Feb 1974, because he faced industrial unrest. He lost by four seats to Harold Wilson.
The strikes hadn’t happened since 1926. There was disagreement over pay. Feb 1972, a national state of emergency was declared.
How did James Callaghan react to events?
He was popular in the party and had a strong approval rating in the nation - he challenged the post-war economic consensus at the 1976 Labour Conference.
He decided not to call a general election in the autumn of 1978, which he was expected to win.
The winter of discontent happened because of the damaging strikes during the winter of 1978. The liberal party abandoned Labour and his minority government lost a vote of confidence by one vote which meant that he had to call a general election at an awful time.
How did John Major react to events?
He changed the dynamic of the conservative government - he abandoned Thatcher’s Poll Tax and was praised for his negotiations of opting out of the Social Chapter for the Maastricht Treaty. This explored the fundamental social rights for workers. However, he only received a 21-seat majority in the 1992 election.
Eurosceptics therefore, were given the opportunity to disrupt the ratification of the treaty which exposed the growing partisan nature of the Conservative party.
John Major told the Eurosceptic critics in 1995 to either put up or shut up. John Redwood took the challenge and he won 89 MPs to Major’s 218 in a leadership ballot which heightened the exposure of divisions and declination of PM authority.
How did Dodgy Dave react to events?
Succeeded in introducing cuts to public expenditure, as part of the government’s austerity programme.
Condemned Article 28 despite opposition from other MPs.
Allowed the AV referendum in 2011.
He failed to persuade parliament to support the bombing of President Assad following the use of chemical weapons in Syria which proved his authority was limited.
The surprise Brexit vote provoked Cameron’s immediate resignation on June 2016 which highlights the unpredictability of politics.
