The Prime Minster vs Cabinet

Question 1

walter bagehot

Answer 1

‘The English Constitution’
The prime minister is ‘primus inter pares’ -
‘first among equals’ within the cabinet.
Decisions are made by the cabinet collectively.
This traditional system in which the prime
minister is relatively unimportant – just one of the cabinet members – is called cabinet government

Question 2

presidential government

Answer 2

The country is governed by the Prime Minister acting like a president, with help from the cabinet
Prime minister dominates the executive
Prime minister makes major decisions
The other cabinet members assist and advise

Question 3

trend towards presidentialism

Answer 3

1. PM dominates decision making, fewer cabinet whole cabinet meetings
2. PM relies on special advisers
3. Personalisation of elections
4. Ideological stamp
5. Other arguments - hire and fire, party leadership

Question 4

Prime Minister dominates decision-making;
fewer whole cabinet meetings

Answer 4

Tony Blair reduced full cabinet meetings from 2 to 1 per week; instead had ‘sofa government’ style of decision making
In May 2020 Boris Johnson recorded the speech announcing the easing of the first COVID lockdown before discussing it with the rest of the cabinet
Liz Truss decided the tax cuts of the ‘mini-budget’ alone with Kwasi Kwarteng, without consulting the rest of the cabinet

Question 5

Prime Ministers increasingly relies on
advice from special advisers, bypassing the
Cabinet

Answer 5

Theresa May took the decision to call a
snap general election in 2017 together with
Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill, and told the
rest of the cabinet just hours before her
press conference

Dominic Cummings behind decision to
prorogue Parliament

Question 6

Personalisation of elections, allows PM to
claim personal mandate

Answer 6

Televised leaders debates since 2010
illustrate focus on party leaders

Recent election campaigns strongly
focused on the party leader

2017 ‘strong and stable leadership’

Question 7

Personal ideological stamp on government
and party

Answer 7

Thatcherism (New Right/ neo-liberalism)

Blairism (New Labour)

Removal of Conservative MPs opposed to
(hard) Brexit from the party by Johnson

Question 8

Is the prime minister becoming a president?

Answer 8

Electoral mandate – US president is directly elected by the people, UK prime minister no
Also, formally, it is still the cabinet that takes decisions - The cabinet regained influence
over decisions such as COVID policy after Johnson lost popularity in 2021
Finally, you could use the other arguments that there are limitations on the PM’s powers as argument against presidential government (other ‘heavyweight’ ministers, popularity, small majority, ‘events’). - resignations of cabinet ministers - sunak - kickstarted BJ’s fall from power

Question 9

Has the UK prime minister become presidential? Essay structure

Answer 9

1. Yes: Decisions more often taken by the PM alone, not in cabinet meeting
   However: Decisions are still formally taken by the cabinet collectively
2. No: The prime minister has no direct electoral mandate like a president
   However: personalisation of elections means the PM can claim an indirect electoral mandate
3. Yes Prime Ministers increasingly rely on special advisers, bypassing the cabinet
   However: once special advisers become seen as too powerful, they are blamed for mistakes and fired
4. Yes Prime Ministers can use the prerogative power of appointing ministers to dominate the cabinet
   However: PMs are often faced with powerful rivals and other ‘heavyweigths’ hard to discipline