Prime minister powers Flashcards
What are patronage powers?
The ability to appoint ministers
Examples of patronage powers the PM has
Life Peers
The honour system
Appointing cabinet ministers
Reshuffling
Paterogange powers- Life peers?
The PM can appoint HoL, either former ministers or party supporters that contribute in their public life
Makes political nominations
The power to nominate is their fo party balance e.g. Blair introduced many labour lords
Can also give life peerages
Patronage powers- The honours system?
the honours system recognises people who have: made achievements in public life. committed themselves to serving and helping Britain. Now pms have to nominate person and the honours committee (civil servants)
Patronage powers- Appointing the cabinet?
The PM is the only person to decide who is in the cabinet and who isn’t. They can decide who is permanent e.g. on the cabinet salary vs those who can only visit
Can be argued if they really have powers due to coalition in 2010 as we now have to be more inclusive in decisions and appointing people who are seen as competitions (appointing 5 lib dem mps)
e.g. ideological considerations Thatchers dries vs wets
Patronage powers- Cabinet reshuffles?
Can reshuffle cabinet portfolio, allowing them to be promoted or demoted. Scheduals a reshuffly however their may be sudden ones of a mp resignes
Can reshuffles backfire?
Yes e.g. Harold Macmillan sacked 7 cabinet members
-M thatcher demoting Geoffrey Low foreign secretary leading to his resignation a year later contributing massively to her downfall
What is pms constitutional powers?
-Appointing/dismissing ministers
-Charing cabinet and setting agenda
-Arangment of cabinet committess
-Dictating policy areas
-Issuing honours
What is the personal and political powers?
All about enhansing political capital, through winning election, gettiing policy right, when they have this they have the power
Example of personal and political powers?
Margret Thatcher- Falklans war
Cameron- Indyref
Blair- Iraq war and uni fees
What are the personal and political powers the PM has?
-Effective managment of cabinet collegues and backbenchers
-Communcations and leading
-uniting country and party
-Managing economy and handeling unexpected power
What are the 4 main types of prime ministers?
-Inovaters
-Reformers
-Egoists
-Balance
Types of PM- inovaters?
Fight to be PM in order to achieve a particular programme, once its crafted they are prepared to push their party into supporing them in carrying out programme
E.G. Clement Atlee NHS
Types of PM- Reformers?
Seek power in order to obtain a public programme, but are largely dictated by the ideological agenda of political party
Blair
Types of PM- Egoist?
Seek power just for the sake of having it, bigger concern in present politics. Operating to maintain their occupancy at No.10
Will do whatever it takes to protect themselves and legacy
e.g. Boris Johnson
Type of PM- Balance
Seek to maintain stability in society, concerned with current state of society, seek to administer tensions and avoid policy’s that introduce social diversity
e.g. Theresa May
Points for the prime minister is powerful?
-Leadership is personalised
-Rely on close circle of ministers and advisers
-PMs appeal to public through media claiming a personal mandate from electorate
-PM’s additional authority as party leaders, elected by MPs and members and exercise personalised leadership
-PMs created strategic spaces between themselves and gov, distancing self for other actors in executive
For power- -Leadership is personalised example?
Blair and new labour
Thatchers thatcher vs one nation
-Camerons rebrand of conservatives tree logo hug a hoodie
For power-Rely on close circle example?
SPADs- special advisors- unelected politicians
-Blair and Alister Campbell real deputy pm
-May, Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy wrighting 2017 manifesto
For Power- PM’s appeal to public through media claiming a personal mandate from electorate example?
Blairs permanent side of campaigne- Diana peoples princess
D.Camerons wife ‘sam cam’ like first lady of UK
For Power-PM’s additional authority as party leaders, elected by MPs and members and exercise personalised leadership
Were focusing on leaders now not party’s
Boris vs Corbyn
May vilified for not showing up to leadership debate
For Power-PMs created strategic spaces between themselves and gov, distancing self for other actors in executive
Campaign focused on PM and political agenda rather then party
e.g. May’s dementia tax
Blair- Iraq war
Thatcher- Poll Tax
The PM is not powerful points?
-PM leads but can’t command an executive especially in coalition
-Senior ministers own recourse’s of own and support from govt departments
-PM needs support from ministers and officials to achieve objectives
-PM’s position only strong if he or she enjoys the policy success and popular approval
-Supported party’s aren’t unconditional and unpopular leaders face concert efforts to be removed
Against point -PM leads but can’t command an executive especially in coalition example
Cameron hamstrung by coalition
May- Lack of majority was difficult
Borris- all cabinet resigned so he has to
Against point- Senior ministers own recourse’s of own and support from govt departments- example
Cabinet big beasts have to be consulted when making big decisions. Thatcher forced to resign because Howe did
Against point- PM needs support from ministers and officials to achieve objectives
Brown- won 2 leaderships but weekend him
May- needed DUP to pass things
Against points- PM’s position only strong if he or she enjoys the policy success and popular approval example
May- Dementia tax
Thatcher- Poll tax, miners strike
Blair- Iraq
Cameron- Brexit
Against points- Supported party’s aren’t unconditional and unpopular leaders face concert efforts to be removed example
Cameron’s resignation for Brexit
Brown- economic crash
May- grammar schools
Impacts that the PMs policy decisions can have an the public? Thatcher’s poll tax?
Thatchers poll tax was said to be disasterous as before tax only payed by property owners but now it was for everyone in a household over 18
Public caused many riots and refusal to pay
The checks and balances within cabinet failed and caused extreme damage to party and lead to thatchers downfall
Impacts that the PM policy decisions can have on the party? Iraq war
Due to Blairs huge majority , he decided to go to war with Iraq to support the US . The Uk public hated this as well as opposition parties and all criticised blair taking him to the bottom of the opinion polls. Really the downfall for Labour as they got a smaller majority after.
-No pressure with cabinet e.g. mobilise the troops
-No evidence that the security of UK as threttent only for Blair to cement his relationship with Bush
Impacts of the PM policy decisions can have on a party?Wilsons gov and social reform
Made many changes to our rights and liberty’s such as Divorce reform in 1970 Abortion reform 1969 as well as important educational changes, very positive changes to the govt
Limits of the powers of the PM- the six p’s
-Primus inter pares
-Party
-Parliament
-People
-Personality
-Political circumstance
Limits of the powers of the PM- Primus inter pares
First among equals due to nature of cabinet gov, their always be figures who aren’t natural allies
e.g. how the actions and behaviours of senior colleges can limit their power
e.g. Mo Mowlam described Blair as a ‘control freak’ doing damage
Limits of the powers of the PM- Party
Need to keep backbenchers happy
e.g. Resentment in backbench led to Anthony Meyers leaders challanged in 1989 reveling hiw badly Thatvher sustaind back bench criticism
Limits of the powers of the PM- Parliament
Legislative defeats can undermine them e.g. Cameron losing on EU spend in october 2012 promoting change and policy oer in europe
As Well May and Brexit
Limits of the powers of the PM- People
Opinion polls by election, local elections
EU ref ‘revolt in shires’ in 2013 local election and Mays 2017 general elections
Limits of the powers of the PM- Personality
John Major struggled to convince tories and the public of his own leadership quality’s loading 1995 leadership challenged
Sun backed opponent John Redwood
Limits of the powers of the PM- Political curcimstance?
Blairs 160+ seat majority ment he could ignore opposition
Blair was emboldend by Sxottish and welsh develution referndum in 1997, Cameron was the oppiste for Brexit
