The prime minister and cabinet - 3.3 Prime Minister and Executive - UK Government Flashcards
The Factors governing the prime minister’s selection of ministers
Ability & experience of individuals Establishing PMs authority Rewarding loyalty & conciliating rivals Maintaining a balance between party factions Diversity
Example of prime minister being limited in power to appoint, reshuffle and dismiss ministers
2010 coalition 5 cabinet ministers were the responsibility of Lib Dems
Ability & experience of individuals (factor governing the PMs selection of ministers)
Will always be ‘natural’ backbenchers (i.e. not suitable for government (being a minister)) due to talent or political view - could be too extreme
General ability is more important than knowledge of particular policy as departments are staffed by civil servants.
In case of leadership contest PM will usually include defeated rivals in government in recognition of their standing
Example of PM appointing defeated rivals from a leadership contest into government
John Major 1990 kept Douglas Hurd in Foreign office and offered Hesseltine choice of senior posts
Establishing a PMs authority (factor governing the PMs selection of ministers)
Incoming PM will want to stamp their authority on government
Example of PM stamping own authority on government
2016 Theresa May distanced herself from Cameron’s administration by sacking Osborne & 9 other senior ministers
Rewarding loyalty & conciliating rivals (factor governing the PMs selection of ministers)
Politically wise to occupy potentially troublesome MPs with senior posts
Example of prime minister rewarding loyalty by appointments
2001 Blair appointed committed supporters of New Labour - David Blunkett & Alan Milburn
Example of prime minister conciliating rivals with minister positions
Blair appointing Brown as chancellor
Maintaining a balance between party factions (factor governing the control PM has on minister selection)
In order to maintain party unity - need different ideological views
Example of PM appointing ministers with different ideological views
Theresa May had to include Brexiteers e.g. Boris Johnson & Liam Fox as well as Remainers such as Philip Hammond and Amber Rudd
Meeting expectations of diversity (factor governing the control of PM’s selection of ministers)
PMs must be careful to include women and ethnic minorities
Example of PM not including women - causing controversy
John Major 1990 cabinet included no women
Example of greater representation of ethnic-minority groups in recent years
Sajid Javid (Asian) has served under May and Cameron
Presidential government
An executive dominated by on individual. E.g. President in US
Presidential government UK
Cabinet is formally responsible for policy-making but argued that cabinet is not strongly dominated by Prime Minister. Increase in presidential government - leadership becoming much more personalised and PMs are more distant from & less dependent on traditional institutions
Factors affecting the relationships between Cabinet and the PM
Management skills of the PM
PMs ability to set the agenda
Use of cabinet committees and informal groups
Development of PMs Office & Cabinet office
Impact of wider political system
Management skills of the PM (affecting the relationship between Cabinet and PM)
Determined & astute PM will assert control over cabinet using the right to appoint & dismiss ministers to shape their team & marginalise opponents.
Prime Minister’s ability to set the agenda (affecting the relationship between Cabinet and PM)
PM has traditional right to chair and sum up cabinet meetings. PMs can keep topics off the agenda
Example of prime minister keeping a topic off the agenda
Harold Wilson & devaluation of the pound 1964-1967
Use of cabinet committees and informal groups (affecting the relationship between Cabinet and PM)
PMs (since 1945) have increasingly used cabinet committees to take decisions later ratified by full cabinet.
PM can choose membership of these committees and chair the most important ones - gives significant degree of control.
Many decisions are taken in smaller groups or bilateral meetings (PM & one colleague)
Example of PM influencing important committees
2016 Theresa May chaired 3 important committees including Brexit committee.
Example of bilateral meeting
Tony Blair & Gordon Brown decided to place management of interest rates in the hands of the Bank of England - rest of cabinet were informed later
Example of informal body
The Quad - under the coalition consisting of David Cameron, George Osborne & Nick Clegg, Danny Alexander - met to resolve differences between parties
Development of PMs office and cabinet office (affecting the relationship between Cabinet and PM)
Prime minister able to gain an overview & drive policy across departments. Press office (handles media) works closely with Prime Minister
Prime ministers office in Downing Street
Staffed by a combination of civil servants & special advisors drawn from governing party
Example of close cooperation between Prime Minister office and Cabinet office
Under Blair to support the coordination and implementation of policy
Example of ‘hands-off’ approach to government departments
Cameron - gave individual ministers more autonomy than under Brown & Blair but he strengthened the centre after some policy embarrassments.
The impact of the wider political and economic situation (affecting the relationship between Cabinet and PM)
- Larger majority & united party makes it easier to gain
- Popularity with the public, booming economy, ability to master events rather than appear as their victim
Example of strong PM due to strong majority & united party
Blair 1997
Example of weak PM due to small majority
Major 1992 onwards
Example of PM successfully handling events increasing strength
Margaret Thatcher & The Falklands 1982
Example of PM being the victim of events & it weakening them
Gordon Brown not holding a general election after allowing expectation of a contest to develop
Example of PM being harmed by the economic situation
Brown - financial crash 2007-2008. This was highlighted when Brown didn’t push for or sack Alistair Darling who refused to take another post in favour of Ed Balls replacing him - Brown couldn’t handle to damage it would cause
The extent to which the cabinet remains an important body
- Cabinet approves government decisions
- Cabinet important in important issues & emergencies
- Programme of government business is discussed in cabinet & disagreements between departments are resolved
Example of PM recognising need to cabinet support (enhancing the importance of cabinet)
2016 Cameron presented his renegotiated terms of UK’s membership in the EU
Extent to which Prime Minister is the dominant force in government
- Cabinet committees are influential & hand picked by PM
- Cabinet is just a ‘rubber stump’ on decisions taken elsewhere (e.g. bilateral meetings)
- PM controls agenda & length of cabinet meetings
- PM has power to dismiss ministers who challenge them
- In practice disputes aren’t usually resolved in cabinet
- Media focuses heavily on PM, modern PMs project themselves as national leaders - more personalised = more presidential
Example of dispute not being resolved in cabinet
Cameron’s settlement of the 2011 clash between Chris Huhne & Vince Cable on the UK’s level of carbon emissions targets
Powers of the Prime Minister
Leader of the largest party in the Commons
Responsible for overall shape and structure of government
In charge of direction of government policy
Provide national leadership & represent UK in international affairs
Appoint, reshuffle and dismiss government ministers
Manage cabinet, chair cabinet meetings, control agenda, sum up cabinet meetings
Factors affecting the powers of the PM
- Popularity & size of majority
- External pressures (e.g. economy or foreign affairs)
- Personality & leadership style
- Extent to which party is united
