PM & Exec Flashcards
what is executive made up of waffle
PM who chairs and appoints
cabinet committee
chancellor of the exchequer
resignation examples from cabinet
sir geoffrey howe resigned from MT;s cabinet in 89 over her EU policy
Robin Cook and Clare Short in 2003 over Tony Blair’s Iraq policy
11 ministers resigned from Theresa May’s cabinet
powers of the UK cabinet
-legitimise government policy
-set up legislative agenda
-support the PM or even drive them out
-decide govt policy if they would like to overrule the PM
example where the cabinet has overruled the PM
(David Cameron was forced by his cabinet to suspend collective responsibility in the Eu referendum to allow ministers to express personal views)
1 pack cabinet with allies tactic
Liz Truss appointed Kwasi Kwarteng to reinforce her post-Brexit economic vision
Boris Johnson only allowed pro-brexit positions so there was no challenge to a withdrawal agreement and even deselected opposing Conservative MPs
2 pick a balanced cabinet tactic
eg Theresa May had a fairly even remainer/brexiteer cabinet as she had to reflect the whole party due to her low majority and to quell lobbying. gave opponents such as European Research Deal influence and Boris Johnson Foreign Secretary to appease.
- picking the best people for cabinet tactic
in coalition years, Lib Dems got 5/22 seats so had the opportunity to appoint the most talented ministers as they would be able to best push agenda such as Nick Clegg.
factors influencing the selection of ministers
-ability and experience (Rishi Sunak appointed Chancellor in 2020 after having proven his ability as Secretary to the Treasury)
-establish a PMs authority
-reward loyalty eg David Osborne w David Cameron / Kwasi Kwarteng Truss
-Party Unity and diversity eg Theresa May Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary
what is collective responsibility
a convention which means ministers are all responsible for policy so cannot dissent publicly otherwise they will have to resign
exceptions to collective responsibility
-coalition years, outside of the coalition agreement policies eg renewal of trident or intervention in the syrian civil war
-Ref. on EU membership, ministers were free to express views to counter official govt positions eg Michael Gove notably campaigned against this
-Brexit under Theresa May, her cabinet became increasingly critical of her brexit deal and cabinet members resigned. suggests the doctrine depends more on the strength and authority of hte PM than rules, as it is only a convention.
factors affecting balance between PM and cabinet
-large majority
-cohesion of the party
-electoral mandate
-first-term govt
-having PM’s coattails
-low salience of issues
-fear of the alternative
-external factors
PM and cabinet relationship 60s-late 70s
prime ministerial goverment. Harold wilson allowed the cabinet to develop their own policies but would decide the ultimate direction of policy through manipulation of discussion topics. very prime ministerial government
PM and Cabinet Thatcher
dominated the cabinet through force and removed or marginalised opponents
known for her strong leadership style and centralized decision-making. She often clashed with her cabinet members and was seen as dominating the decision-making process.
Tony Blair Cabinet Relationshup
marginalised the cabinet
‘sofa politics’ - where he would develop ideas with a few advisors informally. went further than wilson on this and was very dominant
introduced a more presidential style of leadership, with a highly centralized decision-making process. He had a tight-knit inner circle and relied heavily on a few key advisors, diminishing the power and influence of the cabinet.
Coalition cabinet relationship
appointments split 22:5.
cameron marginalised some of the cabinet as he worked with an ‘inner cabinet’ (george osborne, Nick Clegg)
the cabinet was too big toserve the prime minister constantly so inner groups of senior ministers are common
as the 2015 election approached, the cabinet weakened and began to fragment.
Theresa May Cabinet relationship
small majority so forced to govern with full support of cabinet
her failure to do so with 11 ministers resigning resulted in her decision to step down
2019 cabinet PM relationship
BJ packed with brexiteers so lots of support.
known for his assertive leadership style, often taking unilateral decisions without full cabinet approval. He has faced criticism for sidelining cabinet members and centralizing power within his office.
why could TB be the strongest PM Cabinet relationship
he had the biggest HOC majority so could do what he wanted without worry of dissent among the cabinet
+ he had lots of MPs on the PM coattails factor as due to personality politics of the time - he was fashionably popular meaning that some may have voted for him despite not being a staunch Labour supporter
large majority cabinet balance of power benefits
secures a strong foundation of power within parliament. You also have more control over the HOC.
In terms of cabinet, your party is more secure and ministers have a base of support, however the PM does not need the support as much- as they have lots of support already
eg Theresa May 33 defeats
party cohesion
if the party is divided over a key issue it becomes harder to manage and control. the PM will also seem weak and ineffective if they lack a portion of their party’s support
also if there is dissent among your party this leaves more scope for rebellions or lobbying which damages your image and control
eg Theresa May, Blairites and Brownites, John Major over EU policy
mandate
if you dont have this your manifest policies dont fall under the Salisbury Convention - without a mandate, bills in the manifesto do not automatically pass through the Lords.
first term govt
you have more scope to sculpt the party how you would like it to be eg with more support etc as you are not defending seats
eg Brown in 2010 lost as he took responsibility for the financial crash of 2008.
low salience of issues example
labour 1997 manifesto - the economy was well as he could therefore appear more together
contrast with Iraq 2003 and Brexit
Fear of alternative
John Major threatened to resign in 1995 when trying to control the party
external factors
-devolution erodes the power of Westminster and the PM
examples of the PM using prerogative powers
thatcher using task force in the Falklands without explicit parliamentary approval
david cameron sent air strikes in the libyan civil war without permission
junior ministers definition
assist the senior ministers and are appointed by the PM but arent part of the cabinetw
what is a SpAd
special advisor eg Dominic Cummings
evidence the cabinet has little influence
1974 Harold Wilson set up the Policy Unit in Downing St to provide him with his own support and advice in developing political strategy.
Tony Blair - John Powell said his appointment demonstrated ‘a change from a feudal system of barons to a more Napoleonic system’ PM having a chief of staff (John)
The establishment of the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit and Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit further challenged the autonomy of cabinet by setting their departments targets and monitoring their performance.
Executive have specialist departments (staff, advisors) Cabinet no longer have the only influence
Growing use of advisors SpAds
Influence only really happens when you dont have a massive majority as Blair knew they’d get it done.
Less formal - sofa politics under Tony Blair where he would take informal mini meetings with ministers
evidence the cabinet has lots of influence
2018, Jeremy Hunt actually refused Theresa May’s attempt to move him from the then Department of Health and even managed to expand his role to being health and social care secretary.
Cabinets made up of the most powerful ministers - you would like to keep them on side.
Can force the PM out if resigned eg Theresa May 11 resignations
Cameron PM and cabinet relationship
emphasized collective decision-making and inclusivity. He aimed to involve more cabinet members in the decision-making process and sought to create a more unified cabinet.
how has cabinet PM relationship changed evaluation
Overall, the relations between prime ministers and their cabinets have become more centralized and less consultative since Margaret Thatcher’s era.
There has been a shift towards a more presidential style of leadership, with prime ministers relying heavily on a few key advisors and diminishing the power of the cabinet.
The approach to decision-making has varied, with some prime ministers favouring consensus and collaboration (eg cameron) while others have taken a more authoritarian stance (eg Boris).
The challenges of Brexit have also had a significant impact on the relations between prime ministers and their cabinets, often leading to divisions and tensions within the government. (May)
priti patel resignation
2017 - international development secretary.
In 2020, she faced criticism over allegations of bullying and breaches of the ministerial code. If the pressure to resign became too significant, she might have chosen to step down.
Amber rudd resignation
2018 Home Secretary
she claimed windrush generation were treated ‘fairly’ when they were being mistreated. amid mounting pressure and criticism for the handling of the situation, she resigned
matt hancock resignation
2021 health secretary
Matt Hancock, the former Health Secretary, resigned following the revelation of his breach of COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. The release of images showing him engaged in an affair with a colleague caused public outcry and undermined his credibility.
