The Prime Minsiter And The Cabinet Flashcards
CASE STUDY:
Andrew Mitchell and ‘pleb gate’
2012:
-Andrew Mitchell chief whip called a police officer a pleb
-Mitchell was forced to resign
-this was because he had become a distraction for the gov and PM
What are the 7 principles of the ministerial code?
- Selflessness: ministers should act in the public interest
2.Integrity: must not take sections in order to gain financial benefits + meant to prohibit corruption
3.objectivity: must act and take decision impartially, fairly and based on merit
4.accountability: ministers must be accountable to the public and parliament for their decisions and must submit themselves to scrutiny
5.openness: must make decisions in an open and transparent manner
6.honesty:ministers should be truthful to both parliament and the public
7.leadership
How is the PM chosen?
-not chosen directly by the people, but rather is the leader of the largest party in the commons
-when an election is not clear cut and no clear majoirty (e.g 2017 May was appointed PM and formed a confidence and supply arrangement with the DUP)
How do the PM’s leave office?
-by loosing and election and are forced out by voters
-retire (e.g Harold Wilson in 1976)
-pressure from the parliamentary party
What is meant by the core executive?
-policy making network that includes the PM, junior ministers, cabinet committees and top civil servants
What are cabinet committees?
-specialist subdivisions of the cabinet
-compromise of fewer members who focus on particular policy areas
What are the key roles of the core executive?
-making policy: role of the executive and cabinet to decide on policy and the administrative part of implementing policy down to the civil service
-passing legislation: though it’s parliament that must pass all laws, most major laws are decided in cabinet
-financing: key role of the chancellor and treasury + make decisions on taxation and gov spending typically announced in the annual budget
-being the national first responder: during national emergencies (war,terrorist outrages, pandemic) the executive is required to put together emergency measure and to reassure the public
What are the main powers of the executive?
-appointment/dismissal of ministers by the PM + other patronage powers
-deployment of UK armed forces overseas
-relations with international power and international diplomacy
-making and ratifying treaties
-organisation and structure of the civil service
-issuing directives and statements during the times of national emergency
The prerogative powers of the executive are significant:
-opportunity to deploy armed forces overseas + PM does not need to seek parliamentary approval to go to war or have to seek approval for additional funding
-PM has unlimited choice on who joins and leaves the gov + presence of Lords means that the PM can choose someone who doesn’t have democratic mandate (e.g Lord David Cameron in 2023 as Secretary of State)
-during national crises the PM can deliver a broadcast and messages to reassure the public + around 27 million were estimated to have watched Johnson’s message on covid lockdown
-executive has crucial role in negotiating treaties and agreements with other nations on trade and defence
The prerogative powers of the executive are not significant:
-by convention all recent military action has been put before a vote in the commons (e.g Gulf War + air strikes in Syria and Iraq)
-PM is constrained in their choice of ministers + choice a diverse cabinet and have a broad spectrum of party (e.g May had remainders and brexiteers in her cabinet)
-PM relies on parliament to pass legislation (e.g Anti-terror laws)
-Brexit showed that the prerogative powers of the PM can be limited + SC ruling forced the PM to submit any Brexit deal before parliament
Why can it be argued that the role of the PM has become more presidential?
-the cabinet is no longer a forum for open debate +critics say that the traditional model of cabinet ceases to exist
-Thatcher and Blair have been accused of Presidentialism + Blair’s formed Northern Ireland secretary Mo Mowlam stated that ‘cabinet itself was dead’
-Blair was accused on preferring a ‘sofa government’ + ‘kitchen cabinet’
-2010 coalition ‘the quad’ were accused of dominating cabinet
Who were ‘the quad’ in the 2010-15 coalition?
-PM David Cameron, Deputy PM Nick Clegg, Chancellor George Osborne and Chief secretary of the treasury Danny Alexander
-PM relied heavily on his inner cabinet/kitchen cabinet
How has the role of SpAds changed?
-first appointed by Harold Wilson in the 1960s
-they are personal and political appointments made by the PM
-they are believed to yield too much power
Examples of influential SpAds:
-Blair’s Chief of Staff Alistair Campbell (intervened during one of Blair’s interviews saying ‘we don’t do God’)
-May: Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill
-Johnson: Dominic Cummings
Why have SpAds been criticised?
-Clare Short in her 2003 resignation speech stated: that the problems of Labours second term in office were down to the centralisation of power in the hands of the PM and a select number of advisors
-Cummings was repeatedly seen to have been too powerful by both the Conservative Party and the public
What is the argument against presidentialism?
-Thatcher, Blair and Johnson so suggest power premieres, however this is somewhat misleading
-PMs with weak or non-existent parliamentary majorities can’t dominate + May suffered two defeats in commons over her Brexit deal and her cabinet was deeply divided over her ‘Chequers deal’ + David Davies and Johnson resigned after the deal
-Blair and Thatcher were forced out of their position because of criticism and divides within their own party (Blair and the Iraq War + Thatcher over the Poll Tax)
Argument that the role of the PM has greatly changed in recent times:
-several PMs, like Blair and Thatcher have been accused of running a more presidential style of leadership + bypassed full cabinet meetings and preferring gatherings of key ministers and SpAds
-growth in the use of SpAds at the expense of seeking policy advice from civil servants
-development of social media and celebrity culture led to a growing focus on personality of individual rather than the wider cabinet + seen in the start of election debates being televised in 2010
-increased media scrutiny led the PM to focus on popular media and delivering messages directly to the people
The role of the PM has barely changed in recent times:
-no formal changes in the powers available to the PM + same prerogative powers
-premierships of Blair and Thatcher should be assessed alongside that of Major, May and Cameron
-influence of SpAds somewhat exaggerated + during covid the most powerful advice came from medical experts (Chief medical office Professor Chris Whitty)
-PMs want to portray themselves as collegiate and collaborative in their approach to leadership
Why can the modern day PM be described as a parliamentary president?
-formal institutional powers of the PM has changed very little
-only hey context and particular situations of the premierships has changed
What are the sources of policies?
-manifesto pledges and promises
-personal convictions of the PM, usually reflected in the manifesto
-outcomes of referendums
-results of deals with minority to coalition parties
-responses to national crises and emergency situations
-pressure from the public and media
-changing social and cultural attitudes
CASE STUDY:
Fulfilling a manifesto pledge—> extending free childcare
-2017: Conservative manifesto promised to offer working parents of 3 and 4 year olds 30 hours of free childcare a week
-Scheme was rolled out in September 2017, when the Conservative won the election
CASE:
personal conviction of the PM—>privatisation and the sale of council houses
-Thatcher was often referred to as a ‘conviction politician’
-belief was in the benefits of a property owning democracy
-1979-1990 council tenants were given the right to buy, enabled them to buy their own homes at substantially reduced rates
-1981: 5.4 million were in social housing
-1991: 500,000 were in social housing
-also nationalised industries such as British Telecom, gas and electricity companies and social mines
CASE STUDY:
Outcome of a referendum —>Brexit
-2016: Brexit Ref saw a 52:48 victory for those who had voted leave
-Cameron resigned and May was left to implement Brexit
-referendum result was one that the PM and many MPs disagreed with
-Cameron voted remain but was left to implement the result (ultimately resigned though)
-May ultimately failed to pass a Brexit deal through the commons, replaced by Johnson who managed to pass Brexit deal through
CASE STUDY:
The results of deals with minority/other coalition parties —> 2011 AV referendum
-2010 hung parliament led to a coalition between the Conservative and LibDems
-aimed to provide stability in the aftermath of financial crash + represented compromise between the manifesto promises of each party
-one of the terms was to hold a referendum on the voting system for Westminster elections
-national referendum on adopting the AV system was defeated by 67.9% and only 41% turned up to vote
CASE STUDY:
Response to national crises and emergency situations —> the covid pandemic
-2020 gov faced an unprecedented crises in the coronavirus pandemic
Previous national crises:
-global financial meltdown 2008-09 (Brown)
-7/7 bombings (Brown)
-Manchester Arena suicide bombing 2017 (May)
-covid saw draconian measures of lockdowns being put in place, construction of large field hospitals such as Nightingale Hospital
-Coronavirus Act 2020: allowed for penalties to be issued to those who broke restriction + Chancellor (Sunak) brought in the furlough scheme to protect the jobs of workers
CASE STUDY:
Mounting pressure from the public and the media —> climate change policy
-campaigns for action to deal with climate change (Greta Thunberg, Extinction Rebellion)
-consequently 2019 UK gov pledged to cut greenhouse emissions to almost zero by 2050
Events where the PM was seen to be dictating policy:
-introduction of poll tax by Thatcher (1990)
-invasion of Iraq by Blair (2003)
-early election by May (2017)
What was the poll tax?
-people paid a property based tax, wasn’t paid by many
-conservatives wanted to reform this
-after Thatchers 3rd successive victory 1987 she passed a bit putting forward the pill tax
-replaced the domestic rate with a flat rate change
-first rolled out in Scotland 1989 and then the rest of the UK
The PM’s ability to dictate policy: poll tax
Seen as one of Thatchers biggest political misjudgements
-tax was very unpopular in Scotland
-Major poll tax riots broke out in London (100 injuries and 400 arrests following following an anti-poll tax rally in London)
-Poll tax was difficult to collect (high rates of evasion)
-internal opposition within Thatchers own party led to a leadership challenge by a former cabinet member Micheal Hesletine (Thatcher failed to receive enough votes in the first ballot + advised to step down before she went to the second ballot)
-Poll Tax shows a PMs ability to dictate policy + because Thatcher acted alone she had no political cover when it went wrong
-Poll Tax was seen as the final straw in Thatchers leadership
Why did Blair decide to invade Iraq in 2003?
-he was approached by US President George.W Bush
-Blair justified the UK’s involvement on the moral groups of the removal of WMDs
-military victory was simple + Saddam Hussein was soon removed
-creating peace in Iraq after was difficult + there was a bloody civil war
-180 British lives lost and 1000’s of Iraqis
The PMs ability to dictate policy: the Iraq War
-there was no pressure from the cabinet, wider party or the public for troops to be sent to Iraq
-decision was a result of Blair wanting to cement relationship with Bush
-2016 Chilcot Report: highly critical of the Govs action, found ministers had been briefed repeatedly but denied access to key papers
-Blairs sofa gov meant there were no formal collective decisions
-Blair disregarded security warnings + other methods other than going to war had not been fully evaluated
-Blair lacked both political or diplomatic cover when it was found there were no WMDs
-resignation of high profile ministers Robin Cook and Clare Short weakened Blair’s position
-suicide of gov scientist Dr David Kelly also increased scrutiny
Why did May decide to call an early election in 2017?
-wanted her own personal endorsement from voters + she took over the premiership mid term
-May was convinced that she needed her own mandate to push the Brexit and wanted an increased majority
-polls indicated that there was a 20% lead for the conservatives (didn’t go well, conservatives lost 13 seats)
-conservative manifesto flopped, a policy on funding care for the elderly was dubbed the ‘dementia tax’
-evidence that May relied too much on a small inner circle (key SpADs: Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill
What are the similarities in the 3 cases of PMs dictating policy?
-each case involved decision taken directly by the PM
-each case appeared rational and logical at outset
-each case was a gamble + none of them had to be taken in response to a particular crises
-in all cases the PM failed to consul widely
-each decision ended in failure and contributed significantly to each leaders resignation
What are the differences in the 3 cases of PMs dictating policy?
-poll tax was a conviction policy, the 2017 election was determined by political and electoral considerations + invasion of Iraq resulted from pressure from an ally
-Poll tax came at the end of a long established premiership + the Iraq War came in the middle and Mays election was early on in her premiership
-2017 election was a more direct test of the PMs ability as a political campaigner, compared to the poll tax and the Iraq War
-Iraq War didn’t immediately end Blair’s premiership (he went on to win the 2005 election but his majority fell to 66)
What are the institutional powers of the PM?
-cabinet reshuffles
-chair weekly cabinet meetings and setting the agenda
-arranging and sometimes chairing cabinet committees
-dictating policy priorities
-issuing honours such as life peerages
What are the personal powers of the PM:
-15 including George Osborne and Micheal Grove
What are the powers of the PM dependent on?
-opinion poll ratings and the result of by elections and local council elections
-personalities in their cabinet and party at the time
-potential leadership challenges
-the strength and threat posed by the main opposition party
How many ministers did Theresa May fire when she became PM?
What can sacking a minister be damaging to the PM?
-leadership election against Thatcher was generated by ex-ministers Michael Heseltine
-reshuffles can make a leader appear weak or difficult to work with
Examples of the PM having authority over cabinet:
-cabinet meeting held in Sunderland on 31st January 2020
-in recognition of it being the first city to declare a leave result in the EU referendum
What is collective responsibility?
-these requirements that all members of the cabinet and government must support the PM and policy in public enabling a united common form to be presented to the media
How many cabinet committees were there in 2021?
11
What cabinet committees did Johnson announce in 2020?
-‘implementation committees’
-in response to the pandemic
-4 committees focused on healthcare, the general public sector, economic and business and international response
Why are cabinet committees not always successful?
-Blair created large numbers of cabinet committees but they did not fit in with his sofa style government
Why were cabinet committees important under the coalition?
-Oliver Letdown said they help the gov + abide by the rules that underpinned the coalition
What is the role of the Cabinet Office?
-to support the PM and ensure the effective running of gov
-effectively the corporate headquarters and the secretariat for central gov
-co-ordinates work between departments + takes minutes in meetings
-individual PMs tweak the priorities of the cabinet office + during covid the cabinet office set up the taped response unit to deal with misinformation about the virus
Why is the power of dispensing honours seen as controversial?
-Blair and Brown made 173 Labour peers and 66 Conservatives
-May and Cameron appointed 136 Conservative peers and 59 Labour peers
-appointment of honours can lead to accusations of cronyism
-Andrew Cook awarded the Conservative Party £1 million and was awarded a knighthood
-Boris Johnson awarded his own brother Jo Johnson a peerage
Examples of a PM exercising good political judgment:
1982:
-Thatchers decision to undertake a major military operation in the Falklands war
-contributed greatly to Thatchers landslide election in 1983
-it was a risk that paid off, boosting her authority both in the country and within the party
2014:
-Cameron agreed to a vote on Scottish Independence
-by campaigning for Scotland to remain in the UK, he was putting his political authority on the line
-when Scotland voted remain he failed political stature in making the right call
-Blair called and won early elections in 2001 and 2005
-cemented his position and authority in the party
-did not deflect criticism for some of his controversial policies
How can the cabinet provide checks on the PM?
-ministers run their own departments + have a degree of autonomy over policy details + PM’s are unlikely to micromanage all senior ministers
-ministers have their own links to the media and to key pressure groups + they can leak information (2019 defence Secretary Gavin Williamson was sacked for allegedly leaking press details from a national security council over security threats posed by Huawei)
-powerful ministers can refused to be removed in a reshuffle (2018 Hunt refused to be moved from his post and ended up adding social care to his policy portfolio)
-cabinet meetings involve real debate and discussion
-biggest weapon available to ministers is being able to resign at their own accord (large numbers of ministers resigning implies a weak and divided government)
Argument that a cabinet government still exists:
-cabinet remains the key forum for high level policy devisions
-cabinet can still influence policy and promote a coordinated response to policy
-senior and influential ministers can be hard/impossible to sack e.g Gordon Brown for Blair and Jeremy Hunt for May
-too many cabinet resignations can be a sign of weakness
-gov departments contain their own special senior civil servants who provide ministers with policy support and expertise
Argument that cabinet government no longer exists:
-many decisions are made in cabinet committee level or in bilateral meetings
-many meeting are brief, cabinet is used more frequently to resolve or arbitrate disputes between departments
-cabinet ministers are appointed by the PM and must do their bidding
-PMs can appear decisive by removing opponents in cabinet
-Cabinet Office as well as special advisors play on important role in providing research and policy advice and can bypass the formal cabinet structure
What is the importance of collective responsibility in cabinet?
-it enables the gov to speak with one voice and present a united front to parliament, the media and the public
-without collective responsibility Govs would appear chaotic and openly divided
-those who cannot accept collective responsibility are obliged to resign
When has collective responsibility been suspended?
-during the referendums in 1975 and 2016 over Britain’s continued membership of the EU
-2016 over the Govs new plans to build a third runway at Heathrow
-during the 2011 AV referendum
What can collective responsibility be undermined by?
-by non-attributal ministerial lead and by one dissent
-2016-18 foreign secretary Boris Johnson gave interviews such and set out policies to undermine gov
What are the 5 main reason that Ministers resign?
-accepting the blame for an error or injustice within their department by civil servants and officials
-unwillingness to accept collective responsibility over a policy
-an inability to delve a policy proves in their own department
-personal misconduct
-political pressure
Example of a minister resigning because they are accepting an error or injustice within their department:
Sir Thomas Dugdale and the Crichel Down Affair:
-1954 Sir Thomas Dugdale resigned as minister of Agriculture after an independent inquiry criticised his department for mishandling the compulsory purchase of 725 acres of farmland in Crichel Down
-clear evidence of civil service mistakes, but Dugdale took the blame resigned
Examples of ministers resigning because of an unwillingness to accept collective responsibility over policy:
-2003, two leading Labour front benchers, Robin Cook and Clare Short resigned over the Iraq War
-Mike Crockart and Jenny Willot resigned rather than support the gov policy of increasing tuition fees
-more than 30 conservative minsters resigned over Mays Brexit deal, included Brexit secretaries David Davis and Dominic Raab
Examples of ministers resigning over inability to deliver a policy promise in their own department
-Sports Minister Tracey crouch resigned over delay to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds betting machines
Give examples of ministers breaking the ministerial code:
-several ministers had to leave after falsely claiming expenses: Maria Miller in 2014 and David Laws in 2010
-LiDem MP Chris Huhne was forced out in 2012 after preventing the course of justice: got his wife to take his speeding points to avoid a driving ban
CASE STUDY: Priti Patel and unauthorised meetings
Priti Patel forced to quit in 2017, she has been dishonest with May about 14 unofficial meetings with Israeli Ministers, business people and a senior lobbyist whilst on a private holiday
2019, Patel was appointed by Johnson as Home Secretary when he became PM in 2019
Argument that the executive is largely unaccountable to parliament:
-answers in parliament often favour style over substance (Minister chose to avoid difficult and probing questions)
-principles can be open to interpretation, ministers claim they were unaware of the error and are unlikely to resign if they have the backing of the PM
-select committees have relatively little power, a poor performance does not guarantee a dismissal
-most of the time, partly is guaranteed - because of party discipline, few on their own benches attack the executive
Argument that the executive is NOT unaccountable to parliament:
-televising PMQs makes a poor performance in PMQs have a greater impact
-all members of the executive must follow the principles on standards expected in public life as set out in the Ministerial Code
-Ministers appear before select committees and must be truthful in hearings
-PM above all must retain the support of the part - when this becomes weak, a PMs position can become untenable
