uk executive Flashcards
what is the uk exec made up of ?
-PM
-cabinet
-ministers
-goverment deparment
main roles of exec?
-introducing the budget- this is the revenue needed to fund everything- this is proposed by chancellor of the exchequer
-proposing legislation and amendmants
-making policies decisions e.g boris during corona introduced scheme and budget of 300bn
what are (royal) preogrative powers?
-powers that historically belonged to the crown, but which over time have been transferred to the PM or other ministers.
-Many of there are not properly defined but these are conventions
what are the PM’s main pregrative powers ?
-declare war, authorise use of force
-sign treaties
-appoint minisers and senior post holders
-grant legal pardns
-take action in emergency
-award honours
examples of the executive prerogative powers being limited ?
-both 07-10 and coaltion agreed a number of the pretrogrative powers should be parlimentary decisions
-e.g 2011 fixed term parliment act
-e.g since iraq om 2003 and syria debates in 2013 it is now convention that exec seeks parliemntary support before using military
exec roles on initiaing legislation ?
-exec controls most of parliamentary time for passing legislation
-if gov has majority in the house it can rely on whip system to pass throuh legislation - rebellions can occur but defeats are rare
what is secondary legislation ?
-when a law is made without passing a new act legisilation.Instead a goverment used powers created by an earlier act
-for example no legislation exsists that makes face covering compulsory
-but section 45R (emergency procedure) of 1984 public health act allowed matt hancock to put in staturoy instrument enforcing this
what is ministeral responsibility ?
-the idea that ministers are responsible for the running of their department and their own conduct
-the defintion of it is set out in ministerial code issued at the start of the new gov
-the concept of ministerial responsibility is a convention not a law
example of ministers failing to take individuals responsibility ?
-damien green sacked as fist secraty of state in 2017 after he admitting he lied about hacving porn images on his HOC computer in 2008
what determines whether minister stays in office ?
-as long as they retain the confidence of the PM not breaking in ministerial code
-it is now accepted that ministers cannot know everything that is happening in their deparement whole time as many deparment functions are delegated agencies this also means minsters can shift to blame them
-fate of the minister depends on serious of the issue, level of critisim by parliment and media and attitutude of PM at the time
what is collective responsibilty ?
-that ministers support all decisions laid out by the goverment and that discussions are confidential
what happens if defeated ?
-if defeated in a vote of no confidence govt must resign
-in 1979 james callaghen lost a vote of no confidence and resigned
why are these pratices used ?
-to maintain the unity of the goverment
why did robin cook resign ?
-over the iraq war 2003
what are some exceptions to collective responsibility ?
-lib dem minsisters were not bound by collective responsibilty during coaltion (AV referendum)
-in spring 2016 cameron suspended collective responsibilty over the EU referendum
-in 1975 harold wilson had to allow anit -EEC as people in his party opposed him
