The Cabinet Flashcards
How Many People Make Up the Cabinet?
20-25
Who Is In The Cabinet?
PM
senior gov ministers
Functions
decide how gov determine business
- show support for key policy in gov
approve decisions that PM made elsewhere
resolve disputes between departments
determine key issues of policy
committees to develop and implement policy
Example of The Cabinet Determining Issues Of Policy
1976, James Callaghan
allowed debate if they should accept loan from IMF
Examples of Committees Dealing With Policy
Boris Johnson
The Covid 19 Strategy Committee
The Climate Action Strategy Committee
Brexit War Cabinet
Points Of How The Cabinet Is Selected?
The Big Beasts
Allies
Rivals
Party Unity
Social Representation
The Big Beasts
Walter Bagehot: The English Constitution
politically impossible to exclude high profile rivals
(BJ in May’s gov)
Allies In The Cabinet
1997, Tony Blair
appoint Gordon Brown as a chancellor of the exchequer
- he was an expert in economics
- had an agreement to share top jobs in gov
Rivals In The Cabinet
2016 to 2018, Theresa May
tolerated BJ
bound to CMR
- can’t scrutinise her too much and have to agree with her
Party Unity
balance the party, are not excluding sections
Thatcher kept one nation members (Kenneth Clarke)
May had to appoint both Remain & Leave members
Party Unity & Boris Johnson
he was popular and had few rivals
can ignore the principle of balance and appoint only ministers with the same views
Example of Cabinet Supporting Key Policies
winter fuel payment
Starmer
Example of Cabinet Approving Policy
rubber stamping = the cabinet has to approve it, but they will anyway cause of CMR
BJ making decision with ‘The Quad’ then present to the rest
- Matt Hancock
for Covid
