PM and the executive Flashcards
what is the role of the PM?
- head of the UK gov
- provides political and national leadership
- appointing the government
- chairing cabinet
- managing the executive
- prerogative powers
- managing relations with parliament
- representing the UK in international affairs
who becomes PM?
- must be an MP
- must be the leader of a political party (have to step down otherwise)
what is the PM office?
- offers policy advice
- coordinates policy making and the implementation across gov
- PM’s appoint their own senior advisors
- the chief of staff is the most influential
- responsible for the presentation of government policy
How powerful is the PM?
Patronage:
- can appoint life peers to the HOL
- accepts list of honours committee
- no role in judicial appointments
Appointing Cabinet:
- can create a cabinet
- in reality, has to include senior figures and MPs from al wings of the party
- can reshuffle cabinet but if done wrong can question the judgement of the PM and show divisions and policy failings
Authority in cabinet:
- controls discussions
- can establish cabinet committees
- poor management can weaken authority
- senior MPs can provide an opposition to authority
Policy making:
- sets objectives and coordinates policy
- PM needs backing of senior ministers on major issues
Party leadership:
- leader of largest party (strong majorities help this)
- cannot always rely on backbench support
Public standing:
- high public profile
what was Margaret Thatcher’s majority in the 1983 election?
144
what was the phrase coined by the sun newspaper during the Falklands War?
Gotcha
who was Thatcher close too?
Ronald Reagan
How much was the EU Rebate?
£700 million
how much was British Gas sold for?
£5.4 billion
who threatened Thatcher’s authority in cabinet
Michael Heseltine
when Thatcher was PM what did inflation rise to?
22%
how many mines were closed by Thatcher?
23
what were Blair’s majorities in the three elections?
- 1997 - 179
- 2001 - 167
- 2005 - 66
How many defeats did Blair have in the HOC in his first 8 years?
0
who did Blair have close ties with?
George w. Bush
who did Blair give an exemption to tobacco advertising to?
Bernie Ecolston (F1 Director)
Who was part of David Cameron’s ‘Quad’
- George Osborne
- Danny Alexander
- Nick Clegg
who were the prominent resignations under May?
David Davis - Brexit Minister
Steve Baker - Brexit minister (following Davis)
Boris Johnson - Foreign Secretary
How big was Boris Johnson’s Majority and How many days did it take for him to deliver Brexit?
- 80 seats
- 99 days
Does cabinet government still exist in the UK?
Cabinet and ministers still matter:
- since Blair, no PM has been remotely presidential
- PMs have been pressured to leave office by their cabinet
- when circumstances are less favourable, relationships with cabinet colleagues can be fraught and the ability to dictate policy is limited
Examples:
- Gordon Brown often had to discuss and agree matters with cabinet against his instincts and wishes
- Cameron had to consult Cabinet regularly while in coalition
- Theresa May losing her majority
PM dominates cabinet
- PMs becoming more ‘presidential’
- Decision-making power has appeared to have shifted to a group of close advisors around the government that are unelected
-the weekly cabinet meeting ceased to be a formal decision making forum years ago and it is too big
- most of the decisions are made in cabinet committees that the PM can create or abolish
Examples:
- Boris Johnson attempting to hold press briefings
- Tony Blair by-passed cabinet with his informal ad hoc bilateral meetings
What is collective responsibility?
- supposed to ensure that the cabinet is united behind a common aim
- there are three parts to the doctrine:
- Secrecy - gov ministers shouldn’t release details of cabinet discussion
- Binding decisions
- confidence vote - if there is a vote of no confidence and the gov is defeated, all ministers must resign
Does collective responsibility work?
- weakened in recent years
Temporary suspensions:
- over EU referendum campaign and vote
- AV referendum
Coalition:
- Lib dems allowed to abstain from voting on numerous policies such as, further education reform and Britain’s energy policy
- also when the GE was approaching
Free votes:
- Fox hunting in 1997 and same sex marriage in 2013
Leaks:
- Gavin Williamson after a National Security council meeting in 2019
Dissent:
- Boris Johnson with Theresa May
PM dominance:
- Tony Blair ignoring cabinet over Iraq so Clair short resigned
What is individual responsibility?
places clear restrictions on what they can and can’t do according to the ministerial code and cabinet manual
examples of ministerial responsibility
Priti Patel - international trade secretary November 2017:
- arranged meetings with Israeli politicians without approval of the foreign and commonwealth office and broke the ministerial code and did it again after
