Topic 3: PM and Cabinet Flashcards
What are the key points for the PM?
- PM/cabinet = govt
- Freedom e.g. choose ministers but also vulnerable e.g. polls
What are the main functions and roles of the PM?
- Lead govt - domestic/foreign
- Select cabinet
- Represent country abroad e.g. G7 Summits e.g. 2021 Glasgow COP26 conference on climate change
- Lead party
- Defend/explain govt policy
- Chair cabinet meetings
- Lead civil service
What are the main powers and resources of the PM?
- Prerogative powers
- Shape/decide polict
- Commander-in-chief of armed forces
- Patronage - choose cabinet/promote, demote, reshuffle
- Arrange cabinet committees
- Claim authority/mandate from people by winning election - e.g. Gordon Brown 2007 - weakneed by direct mandate
What is the cabinet?
- Team of 20 govt ministers + chief whip - appinted by PM
What is an example of a sofa cabinet?
Tony Blair - small meeting with individual ministers
What are cabinet committees?
- Groups of ministers - collective decisions
- Comprimise ministers from different departmenrs e.g. Social Reform Commitee includes secretaries of state for education, health, social care
What is the function of the national seurity council?
Discuss govt objectives for national security
What was the european union exit and trade commitee?
Oversaw UK exit negotiations with EU
What was the covid-18 strategy commitee?
Oversaw govt response to pandemic
What are examples of the PM’s role in policy making?
- Most PM enter govt with clear policy e.g. Boris Johnson “getting brexit done”
- David Cameron - “Big Society”
What is the significance of the PM in policy making?
- V. important = priortise policies
- Working majority in Commons = ensure legislation is passed BUT harder for non-existent majorites/small
What are examples of the cabinet’s role in making policy?
- Discuss/debate policy inatives
- Disagreements e.g. spending, resolved at cabinet meetings
What is the significance of the cabinet in policy making?
Considerable e.g. if party divided, PM seen as weak
e.g. Brexit negotiations 2017 onwards thrashed out of cabinet
What is examples of the role of senior civil servants in policy making?
- Offer advice/guidance e.g. 2012 London Olmypics and National Citizen Service
- 2022 - Head of Civil Service/Cabinet Secretary = Simon Case
What is the signifiacne of senior civil servants in policy making?
- Permanent + non-party political = advice unabiased/objective
- Not offer advice about rights/wrongs of policy but advise implementation, legality
- Provide experience of govt/handling of different issues
- Share responsibiliy with special advisers
What are examples of the role of special advisers in policy making?
- Party-political - picked by PM
- Temporary civil servants
- Replaced by incoming PM
- e.g. 133 advisers in March 2021 compared to 420,000 civil servants
What is the significance of special adviers in policy making?
- Increasing prominence e.g. Alastair Campbell (Tonly Blair) + Dominic Cummings (Boris Johnson)
- Have “ear” of PM - e.g. Johnson’s approach to Brexit due to influence of Dominic Cummings
- Provide controversinal figures e.g. Cummings faced criticism for breaking covid-19 rules by travelling, sacked but criticsm caused embarassment for Johnson
What is the significance of manifesto pledges?
- Easiest way to decide on party in power e.g. “Get Brexit Done” - helped Cons. win 2019 election
- 2017 election - Theresa Mya struck deal with Democratic Unionist Party
What is the significance of colloboration between different ministers and departments?
- Require consulation/cooperation e.g. Brexit
- Some PM not collaborative - e.g. Thatcher, Blair
- Some emergenices e.g. restrictions after 7/7 London bombigs + covid-19 penademic
What is the relationship like between the PM and cabinet?
- Should be harmonious as cabinet selected by PM + requires no approval
- HOWEVER - political parties broad, big beasts e.g. Boris Johnson in Theresa May’s cabinet but resigned in July 2018
- Factions e.g. Blairites/Brownites
What is individual ministerial responsibility?
- Each minister responsible for actions in department
- Answer questions in Commons
- Could lead to minister resigning
- Ministers often balme civil servants e.g. 2020 - chief civil servant at Department of Education, Jonathan Slater, sacked for the awarding of grades but Gavin Williamson stayed in post
What are the key principles of the ministerial code?
- Avoid conflicts of interest
- Not accept gifts
- uphold impariality
- Abide by collective responsibility
- Not meet foreign dignitaries without PM’s permission
What is an example of when the PM has been accused of breaching the Ministerial Code?
Boris Johnson 2021 - donation of £60k to refurbish flat
What is collective cabinet responsibility?
- All ministers bound by govt policies, must defend/promote them
- If cannot agree = resign
- Ocassionally suspended e.g. Harold Wilson/David Cameraon suspended before referendums
- Jan 2018 - Johnson criticised for revealing he would argue for £5b extra for NHS
What is an example of where a minister has resinged due to individual responsibility?
Sir Thomas Dugdale - 1954 resignation as Minister of Justice
Flaws in procedures/practices by civil servants
Resigned as accepted full responsibility for actions
