The Prime Minister and Cabinet

Question 1

Define ‘Primus inter pares’.

Answer 1

‘First among equals’.

Question 2

What is Sir William Harcourt quoted to say in relation to the PM and Cabinet?

Answer 2

“The office of the PM is what the holder chooses to make of it”.

Question 3

Give three powers of the prime minister.

Answer 3

Powers of the PM:
- Patronage powers - dismiss ministers/appoint life peers.

• Cabinet shuffles - e.g. May 2018 - Jeremy Hunt became foreign secretary from health secretary.
• Royal prerogative
• Set agenda for cabinet meetings
• Call snap general elections (1983/2017/2019).
• Emergency powers (Covid-19).
• Claim authority or mandate by winning a GE - PMs who entered mid-term e.g. Theresa May/Gordon Brown are said to be weakened by the lack of mandate.

Question 4

Give three limitations on the power of the PM.

Answer 4

Limitations of PM power:
- Policy failures - e.g. Blair and the fuel crisis 2000 - refusal to cut tax to reduce price of fuel.

• Overuse of patronage powers - MacMillan lost support after dismissing 7 ministers in 24 hours.
• Vote of no confidence - defeated Callaghan in 1979.
• Size of the majority - e.g. Major had to acknowledge the importance of Backbench MPs unlike Blair and Thatcher
• Fixed Term Parliament Act 2011 - being repealed in 2021?
• ‘Events dear boy’. (Iraq War)
• Coalition
• Cabinet - Blair undermined by Gordon Brown.
• Party support - Blair and the 90 day suspension of terrorist suspects.

Question 5

Give an example of when policy failure has weakened the power of the PM.

Answer 5

• Blair and the 2000 fuel crisis.

- Blair refused to cut tax on fuel to reduce the price.

Question 6

Give an example of a successful vote of no confidence.

Answer 6

James Callaghan’s labour gov 1979.

Led to Thatcher’s surprise victory.

Question 7

Give ways in which the PM is held to account.

Answer 7

• Liaison committee - questions PM regarding public policy - e.g. 2016 - questioned Theresa May regarding parliament’s role in Brexit negotiations.
• PMQs
• The Leader of the opposition
• Judicial controls (R (Miller) v. The Prime Minister).
• Select committees.
• The electorate - GEs
• Backbenchers - e.g. critical of May’s gov following the 2017 GE.
• The Media.

Question 8

Give three considerations when appointing cabinet ministers.

Answer 8

Considerations for appointment:
- Ideologies - Blair appointed mainly New Labour ministers and appeased old labour MPs by appointing John Prescott as deputy PM.

• Expertise - Rishi Sunak (Chancellor) has a foundation in business and is son-in-law to Indian billionaire, Narayana Murthy.
• Geography - wise to appoint ministers from across the country.
• Seniority
• Previous cabinet - e.g. May chose not to include Osbourne and Gove in her first cabinet - some noted that they may make noise on the back benches.

Question 9

Define a presidential government.

Answer 9

The PM is seen in a similar way to the president of the US.

Question 10

What did Steven Foley claim was the cause of presidential government?

Answer 10

He blamed media adulation of the PM.

Question 11

Give three ways in which the UK is a presidential government.

Answer 11

Is a Presidential government:
✔ Personalised leadership - e.g. Thatcher removing Tories from post-war consensus.

✔ Public outreach - Blair was closely related to death of Diana - approval rates increased to 93%.

✔ Spatial leadership - Blair’s ‘bilateral meetings’.

✔ Royal prerogative - e.g. May 2021 - BJ sending two navy vessels to Jersey regarding French fishing tensions.

Question 12

Give a way in which the UK is not a presidential government.

Answer 12

Not a presidential government:
❌Face leadership threats - e.g. May’s approval rates dropped to 27% due to Brexit.

❌ Potential for coalition - Cameron gave ministers the chance to push their own policy agenda e.g. Gove and Academies.

Question 13

Give two examples of controversial policies implemented by prime ministers.

Answer 13

Controversial Policies:
🗳 Poll tax (1990) - A flat tax rate payed my most adults - personally supported by Thatcher - she personally annotated many memorandums (messages) about the proposals.
- Result: mass riots - replaced by Major as council tax.

💣 Iraq War (2003) - Bush persuaded Blair to join the war - ‘Worked in the public interest’. Secured a ‘yes’ vote of 412.
- Result: major blemish on Blair’s record - leading to his resignation in 2007. Revealed that threats were exaggerated.