UK Executive Flashcards
Cabinet/Presidential government
Made up of 20 senior ministers in the Government who are chosen by the Prime Minister to lead on specific policy areas such as Health, Transport, Foreign Affairs or Defence.
Collective ministerial responsibility
Members of the cabinet must publicly support all governmental decisions made in Cabinet, even if they do not privately agree with them.
Prerogative powers
Executive powers that can be exercised by the monarch or there representatives without the need for legislation
Individual ministerial responsibility
Constitutional convention that makes government ministers responsible for not only their own actions, but also for those of their department
Ministerial code
Sets out “rules” and standards for government ministers
Sofa politics
Informal decision making within government
Core executive
Part of the government that implements policy
Great Offices of State
Four of the most senior and prestigious posts in the British government
Secondary legislation
Law created by ministers (or other bodies) under powers given to them by an Act of Parliament
Civil Service
Delivers public services and implements policies
Why was it that Margaret Thatcher was effectively forced to resign in 1990?
Because Nigel Lawson (Chancellor of the Exchequer) and Geoffrey Howe (Deputy PM) resigned
What did Tony Blair and David Cameron create and what did it do?
Created a constitutional convention because they held votes in the Commons before using British troops in war e.g. Iraq War
How did Theresa May break the constitutional convention created by Tony Blair and David Cameron?
Theresa May arguably broke this convention by launching airstrikes (for just one night) against the Syrian government without House of Commons approval
The three most important Lib Dem ministers in the coalition cabinet were . . .
The three most important Lib Dem ministers in the coalition cabinet were Nick Clegg, Danny Alexander and Sir Vince Cable.
Which 3 former Prime Ministers lost their position after losing their elections?
Which Prime Minister lost the position of Prime Minister after the 2016 EU referendum?
James Callaghan, John Major, and Gordon Brown all lost the position of PM after losing elections, and David Cameron lost it after the 2016 EU referendum.
Which 2 Prime Ministers were effectively removed by pressure from their cabinets?
Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair
Who forced Theresa May to resign?
Theresa May was forced to resign by pressure from her backbench MPs
How many times has collective ministerial responsibility been suspended?
Why is 1975 and 2016 an example of this?
Collective ministerial responsibility has been suspended twice.
In 1975, Harold Wilson suspended collective ministerial responsibility to allow ministers to campaign on either side of the EEC Membership Referendum.
In 2016, David Cameron suspended collective ministerial responsibility to allow ministers to campaign on either side of the EU Membership Referendum
Prime Minister use what to make decisions?
What was Harold Wilsons, Tony Blair and David Cameron’s called?
Prime Ministers use smaller groups of minister to make decisions
Harold Wilson had the ‘Kitchen Cabinet’, Tony Blair used ‘Sofa Politics’ and David Cameron used ‘the Quad’
Examples of Prime Ministerial advisers - Give at least two example and who they advised to
Particularly famous Prime Ministerial advisers:
.Dominic Cummings (Chief Special Adviser under Boris Johnson)
.Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill (joint Chiefs of Staff under Theresa May)
.Craig Oliver (Director of Communications under David Cameron)
.Alastair Campbell and Peter Mandleson (Director of Communications and the latter generally referend as a ‘spin doctor’ under Tony Blair)
Key debates:
1. Is the UK Prime Minister effectively . . .
- Does the convention of . . .
- Does the Prime Minister . . .
- What is the most important role . . .
- What is the most important part of the core executive . . .
- Is the UK Prime Minister effectively a President?
- Does the convention of collective ministerial responsibility still exist?
- Does the Prime Minister dominate the cabinet?
- What is the most important role of the Prime Minister?
- What is the most important part of the core executive for policy making?
