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prime minister and executive Flashcards

1
Q

what makes up the executive

A
  • prime minister
  • cabinet
  • junior ministers
  • civil servants
  • executive agencies
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2
Q

who is the PM and what do they do

A

head of the executive who chairs the Cabinet, managed the agenda and appoints all ministers

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3
Q

what is the cabinet

A

group of senior ministers, all of whom run departments and meet once a week
- approve and coordinate policy and discuss issues regarding legislation

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4
Q

define cabinet ministers

A

heads of government departments

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5
Q

define junior minister

A

work under cabinet ministers in specific government departments

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6
Q

what do civil servants do

A

work alongside government to implement policy
- expected to remain permanent, neutral and anonymous

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7
Q

define executive agencies

A

semi-private companies carry out work for the government like DVLA for the department for transport

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8
Q

functions of the executive

A
  • proposing legislation- bringing forward bills or amendments, seen in queens speech and in their manifesto, or doctors mandate
  • proposing budget- chancellor present annual statement for governments taxation and spending
  • making policy decisions- set legislative and policy direction
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9
Q

define doctors mandate

A

propose legislation for emergencies like terrorism

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10
Q

define collective ministerial responsibility

A

support cabinet decisions otherwise they leave the cabinet
- can express disagreement in private or leak stories to journalists instead of outwardly going against the government
- ensure united front
- discussion stay in cabinet

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11
Q

example of CMR

A
  • Sajid Javid, Rishi Sunak and many others resigned in 2023 when they couldn’t support Johnson amidst allegations
  • Robin achool in 2003 when he couldn’t support the government invading Iraq
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12
Q

define individual ministerial responsibility

A

responsible for their own devision and departments and are held accountable for their mistakes
- cannot knowingly mislead parliament
- expected to resign if there is any major misconduct

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13
Q

examples of IMR

A
  • Matt Hancock in 2021 with affair and social distancing scandal
  • Dominic Raab in 2023 after bullying allegations
  • Amber Rudd in 2018 when she mislead parliament about there being no home office targets
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14
Q

factors affecting PM selection of ministers

A
  • individuals with ability and experience
  • loyal to PM
  • rewarding loyalty and key allies
  • conciliating with political rivals
  • maintaining balance between different factions- representative
  • meeting expectations of diversity- gender and race
  • key figure in parliamentary party
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15
Q

exceptions to CMR

A
  • when there are coalitions and conflict between ministers
  • during referendums parties may be split
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16
Q

factors affecting fate of ministers

A
  • how serious the issue is perceived to be
  • level of criticism in parliament and media
  • attitude of PM
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17
Q

what are the powers of the executive

A
  • royal prerogative powers
  • secondary legislation
  • initiation of legislation
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18
Q

what are royal prerogative powers

A

powers normally exercised by the monarchy but now by the PM and the executive
- grant honours
- sign treaties
- declare war and authorise use of armed forces
- grant and withdraw passports
- appoint ministers

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19
Q

what is secondary legislation

A

law made without passing a new act of parliament, normally updates and ammendments

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20
Q

define statutory instruments

A

passing laws without parliament scrutinising

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21
Q

what is initiation of legislation

A

propose laws for majority of parliamentary time
- whipping system and majority allows government to put through bills
- guillotine or allocation of time limits time allowed for individual clauses
- programme motion- time allocated to individual stages
- can carry over uncompleted legislation to next session

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22
Q

factors affecting relationship between PM and cabinet

A
  • management of PM- personality of PM as a leader
  • PMs ability to set the agenda- choose what gets talked about and what is important
  • informal groups to make decisions
  • development of PMs office with cabinet office
  • impact of wider political and economic image
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23
Q

elections during thatcher

A

1979- wins general election with 43 seats
1983- re-elected with 144 seat majority
1987- re-elected with 102 seat majority
1990- loses conservative leadership contest on 2nd round

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24
Q

key events in thatchers premiership

A

1982- falklands
1984- won rebate
1984-85- miners strike
1986- single european act signed
1990- poll tax riots

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25
Q

thatcher resignations

A

1986- Heseltine resigns after wanting to reaffirm strong statements that Thatcher opposed
1989- Lawson resigned following dispute on joining ERM
1990- Howe reigns after disagreeing over EU

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26
Q

key thatcher policies

A
  • housing act 1980 allowed council tenants to purchase council house at a discounted price to increase house ownership
  • privatisation of state run companies for greater competition
  • 1986 deregulation of banks
  • 1980 and 1982 employment act restricted powers of trade unions
  • 1988 education reform act introduced national curriculum, SATs and league tables
  • 1989 poll tax
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27
Q

examples of thatcher control

A
  • prime ministerial government
  • sizeable parliament majority on 1983
  • strong domineering personality
  • sacking and reshuffling colleagues who did not measure up
  • strong leadership during Falklands
  • reduced power of trade unions
  • privatisation
  • rebate
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28
Q

examples of lack of thatcher control

A
  • did not feel confident to promote more like minded individuals at the beginning
  • high profile resignations
  • unpopular poll tax
  • high unemployment
  • lack of support from the North
  • increasing North/ South divide
  • opposition to Europe integration and caused party division
29
Q

elections during major

A

1990- wins conservative leadership election with thatchers majority
1992- wins election with 21 seat majority
1995- resigns as conservative leader to run for reelection and wins
1997- loses general election

30
Q

key events during majors premierships

A

1991- gulf war
1991- opt out from euro
1993- no confidence vote on maastricht treaty
1992- black wednesday
1993- irish self determination

31
Q

key policies during major

A
  • scrapped poll tax and introduced council tax
  • education reform to allow wide access to to nurseries as well as league tables to monitor schools
  • negotiations over irish self determination
32
Q

examples of major control

A
  • decisive and more laidback
  • support from his predecessor
  • short and successful Gulf war
  • encouraged President George Bush St to enforce no fly zone over Iraqi
  • removed poll tax
  • downing street declaration
33
Q

example of major lack of control

A
  • responsive and forced into compromise
  • performed poorly in opinion polls
  • contrast to domineering prime ministers before and after him
  • strengthened voice and power of eurosceptics
  • small parliamentary majority after 1993
  • major party division
  • black wednesday
  • sleazes
  • media opposition
  • lost parliamentary majority
34
Q

example of sleazes during major

A
  • cash for questions for Neil Hamilton and Tim Smith for Mohammad Al-Fayed
  • matrix churchill illegally selling weapons to iraq and government tried to hide it
  • 12 sex scandals
35
Q

elections during blair

A

1997- 179 seat majority
2001- 167 seat majority
2005- 66 seat majority

36
Q

key events during blair’s premiership

A

1997- ecclestone affair- exempting formula 1 from the ban of tobacco advertisement in exchange for £1 million
1997- good friday agreement for peace in NI
1998- human rights act signed
2001- 9/11 and afghanistan war
2003- iraq war
2005- london bombings
2007- cash for honours scandal- peerages in exchange for money
2007- resigns as PM

37
Q

key policies during blair’s premiership

A
  • making bank of england independent
  • privatisation of air traffic control
  • introduction of internal market in the NHS
  • tuition fees for universities
  • human rights act
  • devolution to scotland and wales
  • minimum wage
  • good friday agreement
  • Lord reform and removing most of hereditary peers
38
Q

examples of blair control

A
  • presidential branch of government
  • charismatic, confident, optimistic
  • appealed from centre ground
  • landslide victories in 1997 and 2001
  • passed many important laws like good friday agreement
  • priorities a small circle of trusted allies- sofa government
  • broad support from media
  • helped organsie NATO forces to intervene in Kosovo conflict
  • close relationship with George W Bush
39
Q

examples of blair not in control

A
  • lacked ambition to match his mandate with his large majority
  • Clare short and mo mowland publicly criticised his style as he failed to use a cabinet and parliament
  • could be seen as too close to Bush and commit too willingly to USA
  • over 1 million in protest and 139 MPs revsiion against Iraq invasion
  • cash for honours scandal
40
Q

key events during browns premiership

A

2007- elected unopposed
2007- terror attacked in glasgow and london
2007- decides not to call snap election
207- global financial crisis
2008- government nationalised some banks
2009- G20 summit
2009- expenses scandal
2010- calls lady “bigoted woman”
2010- loses general election and resigns

41
Q

key policies during browns
premiership

A
  • lisbon treaty for more european integration
  • constitutional reform and abolished Law Lords to replace with supreme court
42
Q

examples of brown control

A
  • elected unopposed as blair’s replacement
  • experience from being chancellor
  • calm and understated response against Glasgow and London terror attucks
  • tried to restore faith in voters
  • used cabinet more
  • helped to “save the banks”
43
Q

examples of brown lack of control

A
  • lack of public and party support
  • chaotic and weak
  • did not call a snap election due to poor
    opinion polls
  • lisbon treaty without referendum
  • backtrack of 10p tac and extension of detention period for terrorist suspects
  • expenses scandal
  • Lib Dem’s rejected government positions from him
  • lacked charisma and media personality
  • Murdoch media empire switched
  • global and country recession
  • only 29% of vote in general election
44
Q

key events during cameron’s premiership

A

2010- forms coalition with lib dem’s
2011- wins AV referendum (vote no)
2012- Conservative rebellion where 91 MPs went against, however Cameron encouraged
2014- won Scottish Independence referendum (vote no)
2015- wins general election (12 seat)
2016- UK votes to leave EU and resigns

45
Q

key policies during Cameron’s premiership

A

2010- tution fees tripled
2011- fixed parliament act which stopped Lib Dem’s early dissolution
2013- same sex marriage

46
Q

which of the prerogative powers were suspended due to Cameron in coalition

A
  • couldn’t select and fire Lib Dem ministers without Clegg (5 of them)
  • can’t call early election
  • couldn’t pursue pure conservative policy agenda
47
Q

examples of cameron control

A
  • calm and orderly working environment
  • efficient in dispatching government business and chairing meetings
  • modernised image
  • managerial approach with coalition
  • “quad” of Cameron, Clegg, Osborne and Alexander
  • chaired or appointee chairs if 2/3 of cabinet committees
  • won two referendums
  • close relationship with chancellor
  • increase in minimum wage
  • blocked EU wide treaty to rescue euro and secured real terms cut in European budget
48
Q

examples of cameron lack of control

A
  • coalition for 5 years
  • suspension of prerogative powers
  • largest parliamentary rebellion in 2012 with elected House of Lords
  • £163 billion budget deification- austerity policies lacked vision and control like bedroom tax which had backlash
  • prisoner to right wing Eurosceptics
    -Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless left and went to UKIP
  • suspended CMR during referendums
49
Q

key events during May’s premiership

A

2016- becomes PM after winning leadership contest
2017- lancaster house speech on her initial plan for Brexit deal
2017- snap election and loses majority so makes confidence and supply deal with DUP
2017- Grenfell tower
2018- high profile resignation including Brexit secretaries
2019- wins no confidence vote
2019- brexit agreement defeated 3x
2019- resigns as PM

50
Q

key policies during May’s premiership

A
  • social care plan which expected elderly to pay full cost of care is their assets totalled £23k
  • 10 year NHS plan which allowed for 3.4% annual increase in funding and higher priority for mental health and maternity care
  • expansion of grammar schools
  • curbs on energy bills for low income households
  • requirement for firms to publish difference between CEO and worker pay
51
Q

examples of control May

A
  • well qualified as she was Home Secretary for 6 years
  • able, serious minded, hardworking
  • 9 of her predecessors ministers were sacked or resigned
  • business like approach
  • created department for exiting EU and for international trade
  • won no confidence vote in 2019
52
Q

examples of lack of control May in general

A
  • stubbornness and lack of flexibility to negotiate
  • appointed senior figures from both sides which caused party division
  • trusted very few people and poor relationship with Chancellor
  • trusted Nick Timothy and Fiona Hills who later became her scapegoats
  • minority government
  • “maybot”
  • poor social care plan which was u turned
  • record number of resignations at the time - 51
  • poor handling of Grenfell
  • conflicting signals on climate change- abolished the department
53
Q

examples of lack of control May Brexit specific

A
  • 2 brexit secretaries David David and Dominic Raab resigned
  • criticised for “soft brexit”
  • agreed to £39 billion exit payment
  • withdrawal agreement defeated 3 times
  • Farage’s Brexit party took 29 out of UKs 73 seats in Brussels parliament
54
Q

key events during Johnson’s premiership

A

2019- becomes PM
2019- supreme court rules proroguing as unlawful
2019- wins general elections (80 seat)
2020- leave EU
2020- start of covid and lockdown
2020- Johnson hospitalised
2021- Taliban invade afghanistan
2021- partygate scandal
2022- russia invaded ukraine
2022- 39 minister resignations like sunak and resignation of PM

55
Q

key policies during johnson’s premiership

A
  • EU bill
  • proroguing parliament
  • levelling up policy to improve opportunities across the UK
56
Q

examples of control johnson

A
  • effective communicator, charismatic, optimistic
  • only had people in cabinet who were loyal to him
  • chaired 11 committees and key allies chaired the rest
  • quick response to Covid- fastest vaccine roll out in the world
  • dominated G7 summit meetings and was one of the first to help Ukraine
  • 80 seat majority to push through brexit
57
Q

how did Cummings have too much power

A
  • had lots of influence on government and policies
  • made decisions without Johnson’s knowledge
  • Cummings wanted to control special advisors around Jarvid if he became chancellor
  • caught in Durham during lockdown
58
Q

examples of lack of control Johnson

A
  • withdrew whip from 21 rebels like Phillip Hammond against leaving EU without a deal
  • erosion of IMR like with education secretary Gavin Williamson
  • lost political capital but staying loyal to people like Chris Pincher
  • UK civil service tweeted “arrogant and offensive. Can you imagine having to work with these truth twisters?”
  • no control to get British people out of Afghanistan
  • 39 minister resignations like from Sunak and Javid
  • losing many by elections towards the end
59
Q

key events in Truss’ premiership

A

sept 2022- becomes PM
sept 2022- death of Queen Elizabeth
sept 2022- mini budget
oct 2022- Conservative party conference
oct 2022- Kwarteng sacked
oct 2022- fracking vote
oct 2022- resigns as PM

60
Q

key policies in Truss’ premiership

A
  • energy price guarantee and promised support to businesses struggling with bills
  • mini budget- huge tax cuts which were the biggest in 50 years, OBR had no say, value of pound fee, cost of government borrowing went up
  • u-turn on abolition of 45p tax top rate
  • oppose ban on fracking
61
Q

examples of power Truss

A
  • puts close allies into power so they work well together
62
Q

examples of lack of power Truss

A
  • alienated some MPs by only trusting allies
  • mini budget
  • did not confer with OBR
  • criticism on economic policies
  • sacks her chancellor
  • new chancellor Hunt openly disagrees with her economic policies
  • unsure if fracking vote was a confidence vote or not, leading to resignations like Chief Whip Wendy Morton
  • shortest serving PM of 44 days
63
Q

key policies in Sunak’s premiership

A
  • rwanda bill (scrapped)
  • victims and prisoners bill- stricter in law and order
  • smoking ban by increasing the age at which you can buy them until they are completely illegal
  • maths compulsory up to 18 and the proposition of advanced british standard qualification
  • scrap northern leg of HS2
  • windsor framework- NI trading agreement
64
Q

sunak examples of power

A
  • bringing cameron back
  • helped the country economically by halving inflation
  • credible work as chancellor like furlough scheme and eat out to help out
65
Q

sunak examples of lack of power

A
  • HoL defeat in safety of rwanda bill
  • party faction division, especially on how harsh the Rwanda bill should be
    -not performing well in opinion polls, losing many by election
  • lost general election to a labour landslide
66
Q

key events in Sunak premiership

A

oct 2022- becomes PM
oct 2023- hamas attack on israel
nov 2023- supreme court rules rwanda bill as unlawful
jul 2024- lost general election

67
Q

starmer key policies

A
  • scrapped rwanda bill
68
Q

examples of power starmer

A
  • most diverse cabinet- first female chancellor and deputy PM, most number of state educated and female cabinet
  • labour landslide with 158 seat majority

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