PM & Executive Flashcards
what are the four main limits on PM power?
- cabinet
- size of majority
- party factions
- current events
whose support is crucial?
cabinet
who do the cabinet represent?
most important people in party
what happened in 1990 with Thatcher?
- cabinet coup led to Thatcher resigning as PM
- had lost support of Cabinet
what happens to PM without support of cabinet?
v. limited in actions
why will cabinet not support PM if they are doing badly?
- cabinet consists of MPs, all democratically elected seeking to represent their constituency
- wont support if PM doing bad as want to be re-eleced
what does cabinet support vary upon?
success of PM
what will PMs with strong majorities have?
full support of cabinet
what does a PM with a weak majority lead to within cabinet?
internal factions and inner circles
what happened in May cabinet in 16 dec 18?
cabinet split over no deal plans between brexiteers and remainers
how many minsters favoured? e.g.?
- 11 ministers favoured managed no deal
- such as Jeremy hunt, Andrea ledsom and Liam fox
how opposed managed no deal?
- 5 remainers
- amber Rudd and Philip hammond
what also damages PM power?
ministerial resignations
why did multiple MPs resign on 15 Nov 18?
PM announced brexit deal
which MPs resigned on 15 nov 18?
- Dominic Raab - brexit sec
- Esther McVey - work and pension sec
- 2 junior Minsters
why do ministerial resignations damage PM power?
- shows PM power to be weak as cabinet divide
- lack on control
- public loses faith
what are a constant in party politics?
factions and divisions
what happened 12 dec 18?
- 48 conservative MPs submitted letters of no confidence yo 1922 committee
- triggered vote of no confidence
what was the result of the no confidence vote?
PM won 200-117
what do factions distract PM from doing?
- from more pressing matters of govt
- have to deal w/ them instead of executing polices they have been elected to implement
what does divide party make govt look like?
weak and lacking control
where do factions also affect in govt?
cabinet
how does current affairs affect PM power?
shape political landscape in which PM airs
what do current affairs lead to for PM?
- having to focus on them and sort them out
- instead of carrying out policies from manifesto
- which they have mandate to do
what event affect Theresa May?
Brexit
why does Theresa May have to carry out Brexit?
52% voted to leave EU
what undermines all factors on PM power?
size of majority
how does size of majority affect party factions?
makes factions small proems as doesn’t affect maths in parl
how does size of majority affect cabinet?
leads to support of cabinet as people and party behind PM
how does size of majority affect current affairs?
makes it easier deal with current affairs
how does size of majority affect part support?
ensures party support due to support of the electorate?
what were Tony Blair’s majorities in 1997 and 2001?
1997 - 179
2001 -167
how many times was Blair defeated in Commons
4 times
what is Theresa May’s majority?
minority govt - 317 seats
how many times has May been deafened since 2017?
37 times
what does strong majority make it easer to do?
pass legislation in parl
