PMs have become too powerful in recent years Flashcards
Presidential-Style Leadership
- Boris Johnson’s personalised 2019 campaign (“Get Brexit Done”) was centred on him, not the party.
- Tony Blair often bypassed the cabinet in favour of a close circle of advisors – known as sofa government. (Mo Mowlam claimed cabinet meetings were dominated by the PM and cabinet members merely rubber stamped what Blair wanted.)
Control over Parliament through Large Majorities
- Kier Starmers labour government won 412 seats in the GE- with only 33.7% share of the vote
- Thatcher’s dominance in the 1980s allowed her to drive major reforms like privatisation with little resistance.
Control of the Executive and Patronage// lack of professionalism
- Rishi Sunak restored Suella Braverman to the cabinet despite controversy, showing patronage over collective cabinet approval.
- Prime Ministers have become more likely to disregard long-standing conventions and principles.
Boris Johnson was seen to break his own COVID restriction during the Partygate scandal.
Dependent on Parliamentary Support
2017 GE May lost her party majortity-
relied on confidence-and-supply deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland.
Bojo ultimately had to step down as leader of the conservative party in 2022 due to a loss of confidence from ministerial and parliamentary colleagues. (Boris Johnson lost over 50 ministers in 2022, forcing his resignation.)
Thatcher also had to step down after attempting to ignore her cabinet.
Media and Public Opinion as Constraints
- Tony Blair’s popularity collapsed after the Iraq War due to public backlash.
- Johnson’s authority was weakened by Partygate and media pressure, ultimately forcing his resignation.
Legal and Constitutional Checks
- The UK Supreme Court ruled Johnson’s 2019 prorogation of Parliament unlawful (Miller II case), showing legal limits on executive authority.
