Prime Minister and Cabinet Flashcards
E+A 3 functions of the Prime Minister
Knowing when to appoint and when to sack ministers. Ministers implement policy and therefore top quality ministers are essential. Bad/rebellious ministers can be detrimental to a PM, e.g. May and her Chancellor of Exchequer (Hammond)
Not losing control of the agenda - Prime Minister’s need to deal with issues in the correct way and act decisively. E.g. James Callaghan and the IMF Loans 1976-77
Sense of mission - Prime Minister’s need a clear vision that they can communicate to the electorate. This allows for a mandate. E.g. Edward Heath, 1970-74, wanted to bring the UK into the EU
E+A 3 ways the cabinet restricts the Prime Minister’s power
Coalition governments. The Prime Minister is forced to appoint members from a different party, e.g. in the 2010 coalition, 5 Liberal Democrat’s were appointed to the cabinet. In the 2010 ‘Quad,’ Alexander and Clegg had to approve everything, e.g. the Tories plan to reduce the number of MPs to 600 was destroyed by Lib Dems.
Individual members. Popular MPs often have to be included in the cabinet, because they are so popular they cannot be ignored. E.g. Gordon Brown 1997-2007 and the ‘dual executive,’ Blair could not make decisions without Brown’s approval (Bank of England interest rates 1997.) Reduces PM’s power by limiting the amount of people they can choose from
Collective Ministerial Responsibility, if a minister resigns it can make the Prime Minister look weak. E.g. Robin Cook resigned in 2005 when Britain entered Iraq, this weakened the governments position and undermined the war.
E+A 3 prerogative powers of the Prime Minister
Opportunity to employ the armed forces. The Prime Minister does not need the approval to deploy the armed forces. E.g. Tony Blair initiating military action in Iraq in 2003
Who joins and who leaves the government. The Prime Minister has unlimited choice and can ‘cabinet reshuffle’ as much as they like. The Prime Minister can also select ministers from the Lords, despite them lacking a democratic mandate e.g. Sunak appointing Cameron as foreign secretary in 2024.
Deliver emergency speeches and broadcasts. They have a duty to inform and reassure the public in times of crisis and national emergency. E.g. Johnson’s broadcast about a national lockdown in 2020 was watched by 27 million
E+A 3 factors that explain why the Prime Minister chooses their cabinet
“Everyone needs a willie.” Good leaders need ministers who speak the truth. Honesty is necessary for a cabinet to function. E.g. Thatcher’s advisors, Carrington and Whitelaw, stopped her from privatising the NHS
Consensual cabinets increase party unity, and allows for party friendliness. E.g. Major’s ‘cabinet of chums’ was supposed to heal the Conservative party after Thatcher’s reign
Formality. Some Prime Minister’s see no need for a cabinet due to their presidential style of leadership. E.g. Blair and Brown’s ‘sofa government’ from 1997-2007. Blair didn’t consult his cabinet when setting the Bank of England interest rates in 1997
E+A 3 ways a coalition government affects the Prime Minister’s power
Patronage - in a coalition government, the Prime Minister has to appoint people from a different party. PM’s prerogative powers are therefore restricted. E.g. In the 2010 cabinet, there were 5 Liberal Democrat members and every decision had to be approved by Alexander and Clegg.
Deputy Prime Minister. A cabinet position with formal powers and the Prime Minister must work with them. The Prime Minister cannot reshuffle or remove the Deputy Prime Minister. E.g. in the 2010 coalition, it was Nick Clegg
‘Quad.’ In the 2010-15 government, they were in charge. Made up of Clegg, Alexander, Cameron and Osborne. Both parties possessed an equal vote despite the Liberal Democrats making up only 16% of the coalitions strength in the Commons.
Events are the main determinant on a Prime Minister’s power
War. Prime Minister’s can capitalise off war and turn themselves into an inspirational and nationalistic figure. E.g. Thatcher transformed herself in 1982 after success in the Falklands. The victory made her call an early election in 1983, which gave her one of the biggest post-war majorities of 144 seats
Pandemic (COVID-19.) Limited Johnson’s powers because he couldn’t pass any legislation from the 2019 Conservative manifesto. E.g. Tories were determined to reduce ‘health inequality,’ but after COVID it had increased.
Events are not the main determinant on a Prime Minister’s power
Majority. A Prime Minister with a large majority has near unlimited power in the Commons and a Prime Minister with a small majority cannot cope with rebellions/party divisions. E.g. Theresa May suffered 28 defeats in the Commons. A Prime Minister cannot effectively legislate without a strong majority
First-term government. A Prime Minister’s ‘honeymoon period’ often allows them goodwill from the media and general public. E.g. Blair suffered zero Commons defeats between 1997-2001. HOWEVER, does this depend on the popularity of the Prime Minister?
Coalition governments can govern effectively
Lasting and stable, they can adapt to the UK’s constitutional framework - they are innovative. E.g. The Quad (Clegg, Osborne, Cameron and Alexander) met regularly to discuss government policy and each department contained at least 1 Liberal Democrat
2010 coalition staved off an economic crisis. The coalition steered the country through ‘economic storms’ that were breaking in Europe in 2010. The British economy improved and unemployment went down during this period. BUT, some argue that economic recovery took longer than it normally would have
Coalition governments can’t govern effectively
Lack of accountability. A feature of democracy is that people should be able to hold officials account for their actions when facing re-election. Who are the public supposed to hold to account for unpopular policies (e.g. bedroom tax) when no single party owns up?
Failure to tackle ‘big’ issues. The Liberal Democrats and Conservatives were arguably too far apart politically to function. They failed to tackle pressing problems like House of Lords reform. The coalition also increased infighting
A cabinet government only exists in theory
Prime Minister has become presidential. An increasing independence and distance from cabinet, including informal ‘sofa governments’, has become more popular. E.g. Blair and Brown ‘dual executive’ and Bank of England interest rates. BUT, independence dwindled since Blair (e.g. May), does it depend on majority/popularity of PM?
Increasing use of Special Advisors. SpAd’s are personally loyal to the Prime Minister, and their use is increasing. Boris Johnson had 108 Special Advisors. David Cameron referred to them as the government’s “wiring.”
Cabinet governments do exist
Prime Minister possesses very few actual powers. Their role is to advise on policy, not create it. The 2011 Cabinet Manual states that “cabinet is the ultimate decision making body.”
Cabinet resignations can damage the Prime Minister, this arguably proves that the Prime Minister is not an independent figure. Cabinet is integral to the PM and their image. E.g. Deputy Prime Minister Howe resigned in 1990, and this largely contributed to Thatcher’s downfall.
UK Prime Minister is becoming increasingly presidential
Declining use of the cabinet. Increased use of informal ‘sofa governments.’ E.g. Blair and Brown ‘dual executive’ 1997-2007. Independence massively increased since the 1970s - 1976 IMF loans, James Callaghan.
Increased use of Special Advisors. Johnson had 108 in 2019. During the COVID Inquiry, Whitty suggested that Dominic Cummings was making decisions for Johnson - highlights how much power SpAds have. Likewise, David Cameron described them as the “wiring.”
Increase in ‘character politics.’ Smear campaigns often focus on leaders rather than parties e.g. ‘Better Call Kier’ was a smear campaign produced by the Conservatives during the run up to the 2024 election. Presidential because US Presidents are directly elected, so it is often all about their personalities
UK Prime Minister is not becoming increasingly presidential
Prime Minister’s are not immune from inner-party criticism, and they can be forced out by their own party members. E.g. Margaret Thatcher was forced out of the Conservative party due to her unpopular policy, poll tax.
Prime Minister’s with weak majorities/mandates cannot govern effectively. E.g. Theresa May suffered 28 defeats in the Commons. Presidents are directly elected and therefore their power is not reliant on their party.
