The Cabinet and the PM

Question 1

what is cabinet?

Answer 1

made up of the heads of each department (usually 22 to 23)

the policy-making body of government

Question 2

the relationship between cabinet and the Prime Minister: what is the current relationship between the cabinet and prime minister?

Answer 2

The cabinet is formally responsible for policy-making

however, in recent times, it has been more usual for decisions to be taken elsewhere, and is often claimed that the executive is now dominated by the Prime Minister to an undue degree

some commentators have argued that the result has been a rise of presidential government — this is the idea that leadership is becoming much more personalised and that prime ministers are much less dependent on cabinet

presidential government refers to an executive dominated by one individual (a strong and dominant prime minister)

Question 3

factors that affect the relationship between cabinet and the Prime Minister

Answer 3

management skills of the Prime Minister

The Prime Minister‘s ability to set the agenda

The use of committees and informal groups to take decisions

development of the Prime Minister‘s office and Cabinet office

impact of wider political and economic situations

Question 4

factors that affect the relationship between cabinet and the Prime Minister: MANAGEMENT SKILLS OF THE PRIME MINISTER

Answer 4

A determined and strong prime minister will find it easier to assert control over the cabinet

The right to appoint and dismiss ministers can be used to reshape the executive, to remove poor performers and marginalise opponents, but this power should be used carefully

for example, Margaret Thatcher promoted supporters such as Nigel Lawson and Norman Tebbit in order to build a cabinet in our own image, however by the end of the decade her dominance of the cabinet and alienation of senior colleagues was starting to undermine her position

The resignation of deputy prime minister Sir Geoffrey Howe triggered a leadership challenge in 1990 and when Thatcher needed the support of her cabinet she found that goodwill had evaporated at the top, leading directly to her resignation

Question 5

factors that affect the relationship between cabinet and the Prime Minister: THE PRIME MINISTER’S ABILITY TO SET THE AGENDA

Answer 5

decisions are rarely, if ever, taken in cabinet by holding a vote

The views of the most senior figures will usually command more weight and most ministers will be too concerned with their individual departmental responsibilities to challenge the consensus view on a matter of which they may have limited knowledge

The prime minister’s traditional right to chair cabinet meetings and to sum up at the end is an important source of influence, they can also keep certain items off the agenda of Cabinet meetings

for example, Harold Wilson refused to allow discussion of devaluation of the pound in the period between 1964 and 1967, even though several ministers wanted to open up the argument

Question 6

factors that affect the relationship between cabinet and the Prime Minister: USE OF COMMITTEES AND INFORMAL GROUPS TO TAKE DECISIONS

Answer 6

since 1945, Prime Minister‘s have made increasing use of Cabinet committees to take decisions, which are later ratified by the full cabinet

by choosing the membership of these committees and chairing the most important ones or placing this responsibility in the hands of an ally, the Prime Minister can exercise a significant degree of control

for instance, Theresa May decided to chair three important committees, including the one dealing with the crucial issue of Britain’s exit from the EU

many decisions are taken in informal groups or bilateral meetings involving the Prime Minister and one colleague

for example, the decision to place the management of interest rates in the hands of the Bank of England was taken by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown in a private meeting and the rest of the cabinet were informed later

under the coalition, the presence of two parties in government meant that it was necessary to have more discussion of policy in cabinet

yet even then, an informal body known as the Quad (David Cameron, Nick Clegg and their two most senior colleagues, Chancellor George Osborne and Chief Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander) met regularly to resolve differences between the coalition partners

Question 7

factors that affect the relationship between cabinet and the Prime Minister: DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE AND CABINET OFFICE

Answer 7

The Prime Minister has access to more resources than other ministers, they have a Prime Minister‘s Office in number 10 Downing Street staffed by civil servants and special advisors drawn from the governing party

Harold Wilson created the Policy Unit in 1974 to enable the Prime Minister to gain an overview and drive policy across departments

under Tony Blair, there was close cooperation between the Prime Minister‘s office and the Cabinet Office to support the coordination and implementation of policy

David Cameron initially adopted a more ‘hands off’ approach to government departments, allowing individual ministers more autonomy than under Blair and Brown but, after some policy embarrassments, he strengthened the centre once again with the creation of a Policy and Implementation Unit in 2011

The Press Office, which handles the governments presentation in the media, also works closely with the Prime Minister — under Blair, it gained enhanced importance as part of a newly created Communications and Strategy Directorate in Downing Street

Question 8

factors that affect the relationship between cabinet and the Prime Minister: IMPACT OF WIDER POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SITUATIONS

Answer 8

The degree to which the Prime Minister can dominate the cabinet is affected by a variety of external pressures

A prime minister with a large Parliamentary majority and a united party, such as Tony Blair in the wake of the 1997 Labour landslide, will find it much easier to dominate than one like John Major, whose control over the House of Commons was precarious from 1992 onwards

popularity with the public, a booming economy and an ability to master events rather than appear as their victim all strengthen the hand of the Prime Minister in dealing with the cabinet

Margaret Thatcher’s standing improved enormously after victory in the 1982 Falklands War

Question 9

factors that affect the relationship between cabinet and the Prime Minister: IMPACT OF WIDER POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SITUATIONS

Gordon Brown

Answer 9

on the other hand, Gordon Brown was harmed by his decision not to hold a general election on becoming Prime Minister after Blair and his authority was further undermined by the financial crash of 2007-08

his decision not to hold a general election meant that his government appeared to lack legitimacy and meant that he was dubbed ‘Bottler Brown’ in the media

in 2009, his position within cabinet was revealed to be very weak when it became known that Alistair Darling (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had refused to take another post so Brown could replace him with Ed Balls

this showed Gordon Brown to have little authority, his ministers did not listen to him

he had to accept Alistair Darling‘s stubbornness and could not force him to move because a high-profile resignation from his Chancellor at a time of economic crisis would be very damaging

Question 11

what does the balance of power between the Prime Minister and Cabinet depend on?

Answer 11

The balance of power between the Prime Minister and Cabinet depends on the circumstances of the time

Question 12

arguments to suggest that the cabinet remains an important body: it is responsible for approval of government decisions

Answer 12

The Cabinet approves government decisions, so gives the government legitimacy in the eyes of Parliament and the public

A minister who cannot accept the agreed line, such as Robin Cook over the Iraq war, should resign from cabinet

Question 13

arguments to suggest that the cabinet remains an important body: the Prime Minister often recognises the need for Cabinet support

Answer 13

on important issues, the Prime Minister recognises the need for Cabinet support

for example, after completing his renegotiation of the U.K.’s membership of the EU in 2016, David Cameron presented the deal to a full Cabinet meeting

The cabinet is also important in times of national crisis, such as military conflict, although (as in the Falklands war in 1982) day-to-day decisions may be taken by a smaller War Cabinet of key ministers and armed service leaders, whose decisions are reported to the full cabinet later

Question 14

arguments to suggest that the cabinet remains an important body: it is the place where the programme of government business is discussed

Answer 14

The cabinet is where the programme of government business is discussed

in theory, it is also where disagreements between government departments are resolved

this demonstrates that it is an important body

Question 15

arguments to suggest that the cabinet remains an important body: the UK does not have a presidential system

Answer 15

The UK does not have a presidential system in reality, even if it has some of the characteristics of one

The fall of Margaret Thatcher demonstrates the continuing importance of keeping the support of cabinet

this case demonstrated that a presidential system in which the Prime Minister dominates and therefore alienates some of their most important senior colleagues is not sustainable

Question 16

arguments to suggest that the Prime Minister is the dominant force in cabinet and that the cabinet may not be an important body anymore: decisions are commonly taken outside of cabinet

Answer 16

decisions are commonly taken by Cabinet committees that are controlled by the Prime Minister, or in small groups and bilateral meetings

such as the 1997 Blair/Brown decision to hand control of interest rates to the Bank of England

cabinet’s role is to merely ‘rubberstamp’ decisions taken elsewhere

Question 17

arguments to suggest that the Prime Minister is the dominant force in cabinet and that the cabinet may not be an important body anymore: the Prime Minister controls Cabinet meetings

Answer 17

The Prime Minister controls the agenda and length of Cabinet meetings, which have been less than an hour under some prime ministers

it only meets once a week, and then only when Parliament is sitting, unless an emergency occurs

Most ministers do not feel qualified and are too immersed in their own departments to be able to offer an informed view on the detail of matters outside their remit

most are reluctant to challenge the Prime Minister, who has the power to dismiss or demote ministers

Question 18

arguments to suggest that the Prime Minister is the dominant force in cabinet and that the cabinet may not be an important body anymore: disputes are dealt with outside cabinet

Answer 18

in practice, disputes are usually resolved outside the cabinet, usually in committees or by the intervention of the Prime Minister themselves

for example, David Cameron’s settlement of the 2011 clash between Chris Huhne (Energy Secretary) and Vince Cable (Business Secretary) on the level of carbon emission targets to which the UK should sign up

Question 19

arguments to suggest that the Prime Minister is the dominant force in cabinet and that the cabinet may not be an important body anymore: the media is focused on the Prime Minister

Answer 19

The media focuses heavily on the Prime Minister

for example, in the televised leadership debates in the 2010 and 2015 elections

modern prime ministers tend to project themselves as national leaders and media coverage focuses much more on the prime ministers themselves, such as their appearance and personality

Question 20

the powers of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to dictate events and policy

Answer 20

The nature and extent of the Prime Minister‘s powers have been a matter of debate for generations

The reason for this is that under Britain’s uncodified constitution there is no precise and comprehensive definition of the role

The Cabinet Office prepared a list of the Prime Minister‘s functions in 1947 during the premiership of Clement Attlee, which was updated by the historian Lord Hennessey in 1995 and again in 2011

however, this does not have the force of a legally binding document

Question 21

what are the powers of the Prime Minister?

Answer 21

appointment, reshuffling and dismissal of government ministers

management of cabinet, including chairing its meetings, controlling the agenda and summing up its conclusions

leadership of the largest party in the House of Commons

responsibility for the overall shape and structure of government, including the number and functions of government departments

Direction of government policy, with a special responsibility for economic and foreign policy and for decisions to use military force

providing national leadership and representing the UK in international affairs

Question 22

evaluate the view that Cabinet remains an important part of the executive: POLICY DECISIONS

(suggests cabinet is still important)

Answer 22

cabinet is the place where policy is decided and finalised in the government

decisions require Cabinet approval, Cabinet rubberstamps policy

for example, Theresa May’s Chequers plan

cabinet also resolves differences between ministers, which is done in private (cabinet minutes are not released until 30 years after)

Question 23

evaluate the view that Cabinet remains an important part of the executive: DEPENDS ON THE GOVERNMENT’S MAJORITY

(suggests cabinet is still important)

Answer 23

when a government has a small majority or no independent majority, the support of cabinet is especially important

this is why Theresa May has been focused on securing agreement within her cabinet

she desires consensus and has to work with her cabinet as her position in the House of Commons is weak

she must keep cabinet on her side as the only reason she has a majority is due to the DUP confidence and supply agreement

and even if the government does have a strong majority, resignations from senior ministers can still be extremely damaging as seen under Thatcher

Question 24

evaluate the view that Cabinet remains an important part of the executive: COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY

(suggests cabinet is still important)

Answer 24

collective responsibility means that everyone in Cabinet must agree with the government position and if not they should resign

for example under Theresa May, David Davis, Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab resigned as they publicly disagreed with government policy

this allows the government to present a united front, which creates strength and unity and gives the Cabinet power

The Prime Minister/government must have the cabinet united and behind it, divisions within Cabinet undermine the government severely — this suggests cabinet is still important

Question 25

evaluate the view that Cabinet remains an important part of the executive: CHECK ON PM POWER

(suggests cabinet is still important)

Answer 25

The cabinet provides an important check on the power of the Prime Minister

For example under Margaret Thatcher, cabinet withdrew support over the poll-tax and Thatcher resigned once she lost this support

cabinet is more powerful in the event of a minority government — for example, Theresa May needs consensus in cabinet as her government is weak

Question 26

evaluate the view that Cabinet remains an important part of the executive: POLICY DECISIONS

(suggests cabinet is NOT still important)

Answer 26

cabinet committees are where the real decision-making takes place

decision-making may also happen with unelected advisors — for example Alistair Campbell with Tony Blair

Tony Blair’s ‘sofa government’ — he did not go through cabinet a lot and instead relied on specialist advisors

decision-making was taken within the Quad during the coalition

this undermines cabinet and shows that they are often sidelined, especially in recent years

furthermore, within the cabinet, the Prime Minister has control over the agenda and decides what is and is not discussed by dictating cabinet minutes

Question 27

evaluate the view that Cabinet remains an important part of the executive: DEPENDS ON THE GOVERNMENT’S MAJORITY

(suggests cabinet is NOT still important)

Answer 27

The importance of cabinet depends on the Prime Minister as well as the size of the majority

Margaret Thatcher dominated cabinet and they rarely challenged her, even if they did she had a strong enough majority so could push through Parliament anyway

under FPTP, the government usually has a strong majority, meaning that keeping consensus within cabinet is not as important

Question 28

evaluate the view that Cabinet remains an important part of the executive: COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY

(suggests cabinet is NOT still important)

Answer 28

collective responsibility is merely a convention and can be undermined

in 2019 collective responsibility has been severely undermined under Theresa May — she imposed a three line whip for the vote on a no deal Brexit, yet some key cabinet ministers such as Amber Rudd abstained from the vote

collective responsibility was suspended during the Brexit campaigns — The government supported Remain but some key ministers supported the Leave campaign

Question 29

evaluate the view that Cabinet remains an important part of the executive: PM POWERS

(suggests cabinet is NOT still important)

Answer 29

The Prime Minister retains prerogative powers which are powers that cabinet cannot touch and powers not enjoyed by the cabinet, such as declaring war

for example, Tony Blair did not gain approval from cabinet over Iraq

Sir Gus O’Donnell claims that Tony Blair sidelined cabinet over the decision to invade Iraq because he feared ministers would leak sensitive information

The Prime Minister also has powers of patronage so can dismiss, reshuffle, sideline, promote and demote ministers

Question 30

what are the limits on the powers of the Prime Minister?

Answer 30

popularity of the Prime Minister

size of the governing party’s Parliamentary majority

impact of external pressures such as the state of the economy

personality and leadership style of the Prime Minister

The extent to which the cabinet and governing party is united

Question 31

has the Prime Minister become more presidential?

Answer 31

arguably, the Prime Minister is becoming quasi-monarchical and similar in statute to the US president

father or mother of the nation

personalised election campaigns

focal point of the cabinet

wider use of special advisers

strengthened Cabinet office

Question 32

in what ways has the Prime Minister not become more presidential?

Answer 32

there are practical restrictions on the Prime Minister‘s ability to use their powers of patronage

limits on the involvement of the Prime Minister in the initiation of policy

limits on the extent of prime minister can control all government business

need to have all cabinet members on board and united — this was Margaret Thatcher’s weakness and led to her downfall