The powers of the PM Flashcards
What underlies the power held by the PM?
The royal prerogative
When did the power of the monarch begin to be curbed?
The 17th century
What are prerogative powers?
Powers that cannot be limited by parliament or any other body
Why could the royal prerogative not simply be delegated straight to parliament?
Because it is too big to efficiently do things like appoint ministers or deploy armed forces overseas
Why could the royal prerogative not be delegated to the cabinet?
Because different cabinet ministers will have conflicting ideas and goals; there needed to be a single figurehead within the cabinet
List the main roles and powers of the PM
- Controls senior public appointments, like ministers and senior civil servants
- Negotiating foreign treaties
- Commander-in-chief of the armed forces
- Conducts foreign policy and determines relations with foreign powers; represents the country internationally
- Heads the cabinet, deciding on its overall direction; decided what cabinet committees should exist and appoints people to them
- Sets the general tone of economic policy; with the chancellor often being a close colleague
How has the position of the PM as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces changed in recent years?
It is now noted that the PM can only take military action ‘on the advice and sanction of parliament’. However, once the forces have been deployed, the PM has general control of their actions
What two categories can prime ministerial powers be split into?
Formal and informal
Where do the formal powers of the PM tend to stem from?
The royal prerogative
Where do the informal powers of the PM tend to stem from?
The other 4 sources of prime ministerial authority (patronage, party, parliament, the people)
What are formal prime ministerial powers?
Powers that all PMs enjoy
What are informal prime ministerial powers?
Powers that vary depending on the PM
List some formal prime ministerial powers
- Patronage
- Chairing the cabinet and setting its agenda
- Foreign policy control
- Commander-in-chief
- Signing foreign treaties
- Calling an early general election
- Recalling parliament
List some informal prime ministerial powers
- Controlling and setting government policy
- Controlling and setting the legislative agenda
- Economic leadership
- Media focus and platform
- National leadership in times of crisis
Give an example of Thatcher using the royal prerogative?
When she sent a task force to liberate the Falklands in 1982
Give three examples of Blair using the royal prerogative?
- When he committed UK forces to help in the Kosovo war in 1999
- When he sent troops to Sierra Leone to save the elected government from armed insurgence in 2000
- When he used UK forces to assist the US in deposing Hussein in Iraq in 2003
Give an example of May using the royal prerogative
Called an early GE with two thirds majority vote in the commons in 2017
Give two examples of Johnson using the royal prerogative
- Appointed Nicki Morgan as a peer so she could continue as culture secretary
- Signed the divorce treaty to begin breaking ties between the EU and UK
What do the functions of the PM grant them in relation to other ministers?
Greater resources
What are the 5 main resources the PM had at their disposal?
- Patronage
- Cabinet authority
- Public standing
- Policy making input
- Party leadership
What does the power of the PM depend upon?
How well they use the resources at their disposal
What is the most significant power of prime ministerial patronage?
Appointing ministers
What does the ability to appoint life peers to the lords do?
Alter the party balance of the lords
How did Blair increase Labour representation in the lords?
By appointing 162 labour peers