Prime Minister

Question 1

How significant are the prerogative powers of the executive?
- significant

Answer 1

• deploy forces overseas important, no need for P approval
• PM unlimited choice over their gov, unlike US, can appoint people without a democratic mandate, Cameron 2023
• National crisis PM addreses the nation, 27million watched Johnson about COVID lockdown
• negotiating treaties, trade or defense, without P approval

Question 2

How significant are the prerogative power of the executive?
- not significant

Answer 2

• covention that all military action overseas has to come by a P vote in commons, Gulf War, Iraq
• PM constrained on choice of ministers and they need diversity and people from many sides of the party to control rebellions, Johnson in May’s cabinet
• PM must rely on P to pass relevant legislation
• Brexit showed how limited prerogative powers can be, SC ruling said PM had to bring any Brexit deal before P
• PM also influenced by media and public opinion

Question 3

How far has the PM changed in recent times?
- changed a lot

Answer 3

• Thatcher, Blair, more presidential gov, bypassing full cabinet meetings and prefering little meetings, sofa gov
• growth in use of SpAds instead of civil service
• social media led to more focus on personality and style

Question 4

How far has the PM changed in recent times?
- not changed

Answer 4

• no formal changes in power available to PM
• presidential PMs (Blair, Thatcher) need to be compared to the weaker, Major, May and Cameron coalition
• SpAds influence is overexaggerated

Question 5

Does the cabinet gov still exist?
- yes

Answer 5

• cabinet remains key forum for high level policy decisions
• cabinet can still influence policy as be useful to PM
• senior ministers can be hard to remove
• too many cabinet resignations can be a sign of weakness

Question 6

Does the cabinet gov still exist?
- no

Answer 6

• many decision are made at cabinet committee level or bilateral meetings
• many meeting are brief, >30mins
• cabinet ministers are appointed by PM has must do their bidding
• PM can appear strong and decisive by removing opponents over time

Question 7

Is the executive unaccountable to P?
- yes

Answer 7

• PMQs style over substance
• open to interpretation, ministers often claim they were unaware of an error
• select committees have very little power
• party loyalty guaranteed

Question 8

Is the executive unaccountable to P?
- no

Answer 8

• PMQs televised so a slip up can be fatal to the party
• members of exec must live up to ministerial code
• ministers appearing in select committees have to be honest
• PM can have a lot of rebellion inside the party, Major with Maastricht, Sunak with Rwanda