Tony Blair case study - influence of PMs - 3.3 PM & Cabinet - Prime Minister & Cabinet - UK Government

Question 1

Tony Blair premiership

Answer 1

1997 - 2007

Question 2

Example of strong PM as a result of large majority

Answer 2

Blair didn’t lose a vote in the Commons from 1997-2005

Question 3

Blair’s cabinet style

Answer 3

Dubbed ‘sofa government’ due to increase in bilateral and informal meetings

Question 4

Economy under Blair

Answer 4

Blair inherited recovering economy and left before financial crisis so always operated within a favourable economic context

Question 5

What did Blair do to cabinet ministers

Answer 5

Gave them less autonomy and they worked to a much more centrally managed agenda - gave Blair more control

Question 6

Blair’s approach to the media

Answer 6

Using press secretary Alastair Campbell created Strategic Communications Unit to respond to the 24 hours media

Question 7

Example of Blair’s increased power to direct events

Answer 7

The Iraq war 2003. Featured on cabinet agenda but was hardly discussed and ministers were denied access to important documents

Question 8

What was the criticism of Blair’s government approach in 2004

Answer 8

Lord Butler warned the exclusion of cabinet from the process ‘risks reducing the scope for informed collective political judgement’

Question 9

Brown’s influence on Blair’s government

Answer 9

1994 Brown gave Blair clear run at party leadership in return for post of Chancellor
Brown believed Blair would eventually step down allowing him to be PM
Relations deteriorated when this didn’t happen
Blair needed to keep Brown on side so said his 3rd election would be his last - reduced Blair’s power as people were just waiting for him to go
Brown restricted Blair’s power - effectively denied Blair’s wish to take Britain into €uro
Led to conflicts between Blairites and Brownites

Question 10

Constitutional reform

Answer 10

Modernised political system without jeopardising central government authority
Most hereditary peers removed from Lords (ended Conservative control of Upper House)
Devolution for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
But Blair didn’t hold an election for electoral reform

Question 11

Northern Ireland

Answer 11

Good Friday Agreement 1998

Well handled and negotiated by Blair