Prime Minister & Cabinet Flashcards
How many members does cabinet have
20-25
What must members of the cabinet be?
MPs or Peers
Who chairs cabinet meetings with the PM?
Cabinet Secretary, a non-elected neutral official
How many years do cabinet minutes stay secret for?
30
What is the role of cabinet? [5]
Formalises and legitimises government policy
Settles disputes between government departments and ministers
May meet to deal with a crisis or emergency
Where presentation of policy is determined
Business of parliament is arranged
What is the role of ministers in the legislation process
Preside over the drafting of legislation and are responsible for managing proposed legislation through parliament
What two roles do cabinet ministers have?
Manage their department and are part of the senior collective decision making body
Ministers not in cabinet are known as what
Junior ministers
What is the Prime Minister
Most senior minister in the government
What are the PMs powers called that are transferred from the monarch?
Prerogative powers
What is the PM known as
Primes inter pares - first among equals
What is collective responsibility? [5]
Cabinet is collectively responsible for all government policy
All ministers must be prepared to defend government policy
Ministers must support government policy is public even if not in private
Any minister who fails to support government policy must face dismissal
Ministers must resign if they intend to oppose government policy publicly
Why is collective responsibility important? [3]
Maintains government unity
Helps the Prime minister maintain loyalty
Prevents the opposition from splitting cabinet
Example of a minister who resigned due to collective cabinet responsibility
Robin Cook (foreign secretary) in 2003 over the Iraq War
What is individual ministerial responsibility? [4]
Ministers are responsible for all decisions made by their department
They are responsible whether or not they were involved in the decision-making process
If the error is serious enough, they will be expected to resign
They are also expected to resign over serious issues of personal misconduct
Example of a minister resigning due to individual ministerial responsibility
David Blunkett (Home Secretary) 2004 Department played a role interfering with a visa for his friends nanny
Example of a minister resigning over personal misconduct
David Laws (chief secretary to the Treasury) in 2010 due to alleged financial irregularities
Impact of coalition on government and cabinet [7]
Cabinet seats divided between parties
Policy had to be negotiated with coalition partner
Collective responsibility came under stress
In some areas, they had to ‘agree to differ’
If the PM wanted to appoint a lib dem to cabinet, he had to OK it with the leader of the lib Dems
Clegg made deputy prime minister
PMs power reduced as he had a divided government
Sources of Prime Ministerial power [5]
Prerogative powers Head of the governing party Parliament Cabinet Tradition
What are formal and informal powers of the PM?
Formal - every PM enjoys them whatever the circumstance
Informal - dependent on the political circumstances
Formal powers of the PM [6]
Negotiate foreign treaties Commander in chief of the armed forces Grant peerages Determine structure of government Head of the civil service Appoint and dismiss ministers
Informal powers of the PM [4]
Chief policy maker for the government
Represent the nation to foreign powers
Control cabinet business
Make key short term decisions in emergency
Example of a PM losing support of their party
Blair lost support over the Iraq war and was forced to stand down as a result in 2007
Example of a PMs strength limited by parliamentary majority
Major lost his majority after 1992 which limited his authority
Example of a PM who lost authority due to losing support of the media
Brown in 2007-10
Example of events out of the PMs control weakening their power
Blair and the Iraq war
Cameron and the EU referendum
How does the PM control cabinet? [5]
Patronage Controlling cabinet agenda Sofa politics Using an inner cabinet Reducing frequency and length of cabinet meetings
Individual considerations when appointing Cameron’s cabinet ministers (with examples) [5]
Close ally (George Osbourne)
Promotion as a reward for previous support (Oliver Letwin)
To represent a party faction (Theresa May)
Key person in the coalition party (Nick Clegg)
To silence a rebel by collective responsibility (Vince Cable)
Team considerations when appointing ministers [3]
Political balance - all sides represented (Majors cabinet 92-7)
Social balance - women, ethnic minorities etc.
Coalition balance (18 Con, 5 LD in 2010)
How has Prime Ministerial dominance increased? [6]
Media portrayal Cabinet control Patronage Bilateral arrangements Collective responsibility Prime Ministers departments
Arguments that the PM is now presidential [4]
Prerogative powers - Commander of the Armed forces
Media Portrayal
Spatial Leadership
Prime Ministers department
Argue that the PM isn’t a president [4]
Not head of state
Faces key limitations a president doesn’t
No separate source of authority from the Government
Some weaker PMs haven’t had the ‘presidential’ style
Was Margaret Thatcher a president? [4/1]
Dominated politics from 82-89
Led the mission to the Falklands in 1982
Clear ideological position
Admired abroad as a great spokesperson
Removed from office by her party colleagues
Was John Major a president? [1/4]
Led foreign policy in Iraq
Not a dominating personality
Limited by divided cabinet
Weak mandate due to slim majority
Wasn’t ideologically strong
Was Blair a president? [5/2]
Led a new political movement - New Labour
Led forces to 4 major actions
Weakened position of cabinet
Had a huge machine reporting directly to him
Seen as an international spokesperson
Lost support at home after the Iraq war
Removed from office by his party colleagues
Was Brown a president? [2/3]
Dominant in dealing with financial crisis 2007-9
Respected internationally for dealing with the financial crisis
Reputation started low and steadily declined
Limited by a divided cabinet
Didn’t adopt a presidential style
How many members are there in the current cabinet?
20
Who is the current Cabinet secretary?
Jeremy Heywood
Give an example of a special cabinet session in February 2016
Cameron discussed terms of his EU deal
Give an example of a PM suspending collective responsibility
Cameron for the EU referendum
Allowed Gove and Grayling to be leave campaigners
Who stressed collective responsibility?
Vince Cable, in his vocal opposition
Give an example of cabinet making a decision in response to a short term emergency
Raising terror alert from Severe to Critical after the Manchester attacks
Individual considerations when appointing Mays cabinet
Close allies - Amber Rudd (home sec)
Sections of party - Andrea Leadsom (energy sec) - Brexiteer
Collective Responsibility burden - Boris
What is the social balance of Mays cabinet?
7F / 15M
Priti Patel and Sajid Javid are ethnic minorities
Was Cameron a President? [3/2]
Key media spokesperson
Led a new strand of conservatism
Committed forces to Libya
Forced to resign over Europe
Limited by coalition government
