The PM And The Executive- The RS Between The PM And The Cabinet

Question 1

Traditionally, the UK government has been described as a

Answer 1

cabinet government

Question 2

Traditional features of the cabinet government:

Answer 2

+ The cabinet was viewed as the central decision-making body.

+Any disputes within the government would be resolved in the cabinet.

+ For a policy to become ‘official government policy’, the cabinet would have to approve it.

+ The prime minister was considered primus inter pares.

+The prime minister enjoyed a higher status than their colleagues but could
not make decisions without them.

Question 3

The shift of the government

Answer 3

Traditionally government described as a cabinet government

Shift from the 1960s onwards towards a prime ministerial government

Question 4

Features of a prime ministerial government:

Answer 4

+ The prime minister controls the agenda of cabinet meetings.

+ Prime ministers use the media, not just Parliament and the cabinet, to get
messages across to the public.

+ The cabinet is packed with the prime minister’s supporters.

+ The prime minister makes greater use of their royal prerogative powers, particularly with regard to foreign relations - foreign policy is conducted by the prime minister and not by the cabinet.

Question 5

Cabinet government

Answer 5

A system of government where the cabinet is the central policy-making body.

Question 6

Primus inter pares

Answer 6

A Latin term meaning ‘first among equals’. It is applied to the prime minister, seen as the most important member of the cabinet but not one who is domineering.

Question 7

Prime ministerial government

Answer 7

Political circumstances in which the prime minister dominates policy making and the whole machinery of government.

Question 8

The powers and significance of the cabinet

Answer 8

When considering the debate about the power of the cabinet, it is necessary to examine the numerous governmental functions it is supposed to carry out and whether it continues to do so, or whether those functions are now carried out by the prime minister or by government departments instead.

Question 9

Governmental functions

Answer 9

Policy formulation
Dealing with crisis
Controlling the parliamentary agenda
Approving decisions mad elsewhere
Settling disputes

Question 10

Governmental functions

The role of the cabinet in Policy formation

Answer 10

The cabinet often sets out the government’s general principles over what legislation should contain.

Question 11

How is the governmental function of Policy formulation carried out?

Answer 11

Detailed work on individual policy is carried out in smaller groups. The ban on smoking in pubs was debated in cabinet, but the actual wording of the text was drafted by the Department of Health.

Question 12

Governmental function

The role of the cabinet in Dealing with crisis

Answer 12

The cabinet often meets during difficult periods to present a ‘show of unity’ and to agree a way forward.
After Black Wednesday (when interest rates rocketed in 1992), the cabinet met to agree economic policy.

Question 13

How is the function of dealing with crisis carried out elsewhere ?

Answer 13

in a crisis, the prime minister often relies on small teams of experts and advisors, or upon COBRA (COBR). During the Iraq War, Blair relied on just a few ministers, including Geoff Hoon (defence secretary) and Jack Straw (foreign secretary).

Question 14

Governmental function
The role of the cabinet in Controlling the Parliamentary agenda

Answer 14

The cabinet can be the forum whereby ministers compete to win parliamentary time for the legislation their departments wish to pass.

Question 15

How is the function of Controlling the Parliamentary agenda carried out elsewhere ?

Answer 15

Decisions on which legislation to prioritise are made elsewhere. In the 2010-15 coalition, the ‘quad’ met each week to discuss Liberal Democrat and Conservative priorities.

Question 16

Governmental functions

The role of the cabinet in Approving decisions made elsewhere

Answer 16

Cabinet is an ‘endorsing body, approving policies formulated elsewhere (such as in small cabinet committees).

Question 17

How the functions of Approving decisions made elsewhere are carried out elsewhere ?

Answer 17

The prime minister can establish cabinet committees, which discuss, propose and, in some instances, decide policy. Boris Johnson created various Covid-19 committees that were tasked with implementing policies relating to health, economic matters and public services.

Question 18

Governmental functions

The role of the cabinet in Settling disputes

Answer 18

The cabinet allows secretaries of state to advocate for their policy positions and to compromise where necessary. The decision to scrap the Educational Maintenance Allowance for sixth-form students was only agreed upon once senior Liberal Democrat cabinet members in the
2010-2015 coalition secured extra funding for its replacement.

Question 19

How is the function of Settling disputes carried out elsewhere ?

Answer 19

Most disputes are resolved elsewhere, usually involving bilateral meetings between individual cabinet members and the prime minister. In 2017 Theresa May and her chancellor Philip Hammond held tense discussions over whether to scrap the planned rise in national insurance contributions.

Question 20

COBRA (COBR)

Answer 20

The Civil Contingencies Committee convened to handle matters of national emergency or major disruption. Its membership varies according to the situation, but it is often chaired by the prime minister, and is attended by senior ministers chosen from relevant government departments and those with specific expertise in the matter at hand.

Question 21

The ‘quad’

Answer 21

An arrangement specifically created for the coalition government between 2010 and 2015, whereby two senior Conservatives (David Cameron, George Osborne) and two senior Liberal Democrats (Nick Cle88, Danny Alexander) would meet to decide government policy.

Question 22

The power of the cabinet is directly affected by

Answer 22

the power and authority of the prime minister.

Question 23

A strong and weak PM

Answer 23

A prime minister who is popular and who has a strong majority in the House of Commons is able to have a greater influence over policy and decision making than the cabinet. However, weaker prime ministers who lack popular appeal and who have slim majorities are often challenged by rivals in cabinet.

Question 24

Which circumstances affect the power of the cabinet?

Answer 24

Size of majority
Prime ministerial preterence
Characters within cabinet
The issue and its importance

Question 25

How might size of the majority limit the power of the cabinet?

Answer 25

Prime ministers with large majorities will feel that they can disregard their cabinets, safe in the knowledge that there are plenty of backbenchers to vote for their policies and accept promotions should cabinet members resign. Tony Blair and his chancellor Gordon Brown announced the policy of Bank of England independence without prior consultation with the cabinet.

Question 26

How might size of the majority increase the power of the cabinet?

Answer 26

A prime minister whose party lacks a large majority or who fails to have one will need the support of their cabinet to stay in their job. John Major was forced to negotiate opt-outs on specific sections of the Maastricht Treaty to appease eurosceptics in his cabinet who feared further EU integration.

Question 27

How might Prime Ministerial preference limit the power of the cabinet?

Answer 27

Some prime ministers prefer to bully or cajole cabinet members into accepting their ideas, and some are also secretive and prefer making decisions with their advisors. heresa May allowed her two closest advisors, tona Hill and Nick Timothy, to write large parts of the 2017 Conservative Party manifesto, rather than having an open dialogue with cabinet.

Question 28

How might Prime Ministerial preference increase the power of the cabinet?

Answer 28

Some prime ministers prefer to consult cabinet colleagues and delegate decision making. David Cameron gave education secretary Michael Gove a free hand in setting education policy.

Question 29

How might characters within cabinet limit the power of the cabinet?

Answer 29

Prime ministers use their patronage powers to ensure the cabinet is loyal to them. Johnson only promoted MPs to the cabinet who agreed with his Brexit policy.

Question 30

How might characters within cabinet increase the power of the cabinet?

Answer 30

Senior cabinet members or the so-called ‘big beasts’ may influence promotions to the cabinet.
Blair had to accept an increasing number of MPs who were ‘Brownites’ instead of ‘Blairites’, in order to satisfy chancellor Gordon Brown, a ‘big beast’ in the Blair cabinet.

Question 31

How might the issues and its importance limit power of the cabinet?

Answer 31

The cabinet will likely be consulted far more when difficult decisions have to be made on important issues. Gordon Brown’s scrapping of the 10p tax-band rate was discussed at length in cabinet because some cabinet members threatened privately to resign.

Question 32

How might the issues and its importance increase power of the cabinet?

Answer 32

issues of secondary importance will be left to the prime minister. Despite cabinet concerns, Blair pushed ahead with the construction of the Millennium Dome. The issue was not seen by cabinet members as important enough to resign over.