The Cabinet

Question 1

what is the cabinet?

Answer 1

senior decision making body, chaired by the PM and members include secretaries of state + other senior ministers where the purpose is to discuss policy and make key decisions

Question 2

Free expression in the Cabinet

Answer 2

soundproof walls in weekly meetings

Question 3

big beasts definition

Answer 3

important and senior figures in the party who are well known and respected by the party and in public

Question 4

examples of big bests in cabinet

Answer 4

Cameron in Sunak’s current cabinet
Boris Johnson, David Davis in May’s cabinet
Brown in Blair’s cabinet

Question 5

Theresa May cabinet

Answer 5

• highly divided over Brexit
• big beasts - BoJo Foreign Sec and Davis Brexit sec - LEAVERS
• 16 Cabinet resignations - 3 great offices of state - BREXIT
• BoJo, Davis and Steve Baker resigned 2018

Question 6

Brexit resignations May Cabinet

Answer 6

in July 2018, BoJo, David Davis and Steve baker all resigned from May’s cabient - ALL LEADING BREXITEERS (Baker was number 2 brexit sec)

Question 7

effect of leading Brexiteers resignation from May Cabinet

Answer 7

weakened her stance as PM as had less support from Brexiteers

Question 8

Cabinet Reshuffle def

Answer 8

addingand removing ministers to cabinet

Question 9

Johnson cabinet reshuffle #1

Answer 9

• July 2019 - ‘summers day massacre’
• 11 fired and 6 resigned
• more ethnically diverse
• Raab became foreign sec
• Sajit Javid became Chancellor
• Patel became home sec

Question 10

Johnson reshuffle 2

Answer 10

• Sunak promoted after Javid resigned after refusing to dismiss his advisors as Johnson was ordering him to do
• Sunak as chancellor

Question 11

Johnson reshuffle 3

Answer 11

• Zahawi replaced Williamson
• Williamson resigned from bullying allegations - telling someone to ‘slit their throat’
• Truss replaced Raab when Raab did not come back from holiday after Taliban took over Afghanistan

Question 12

Reasoning for BoJo choices in Cabinet

Answer 12

• Hard Brexiteers - Truss, Sunak
• Reliable people unlike Raab
• reward - Sunak promoted, Zahawi promoted after good Covid Vax scheme

Question 13

why may a PM want big beasts in cabinet?

Answer 13

• public support
• valuable expertise and meritocracy

Question 14

Tony Blair Cabinet

Answer 14

• PM government - sofa politics
• powerful rival in cabinet - Brown
• Lots of unity in Cabinet initially

Question 15

Cameron Cabinet

Answer 15

• coalition so 22:5 Tory and LD split
• advised by quad - Cameron and Osborne, Clegg and Alexander

Question 16

Impact the Quad had on cabinet?

Answer 16

undermined the power of the cabinet as they made key decisions and had the influencing power.

Question 17

How is the PM limited by Cabinet?

Answer 17

• criticism to PM in a cabinet government - Johnson opposing May in her Cabinet - improves leadership but limits PM
• minority government heads rely on cabinet - Cameron-Clegg = representation from other party

Question 18

Why isn’t the PM limited in cabinet?

Answer 18

• if they have a strong majority, do not need cabinet support to pass legislation - just a rubber stamp
• PM chooses their cabinet so may not choose opposers and only people loyal to them

Question 19

Liz Truss Cabinet

Answer 19

• big beasts: Braverman and Cleverly
• loyalty: Kwasi Karteng

Question 20

Sunak Cabinet

Answer 20

• cabinet government
• big beasts: Cameron, Hunt, Cleverly currently, previously braverman
• maaaany resignations and betrayals of IMR and CMR - cannot control his cabinet