UK Government - PM and the Executive Flashcards
An executive dominated by one individual, used to describe a dominant PM
Presidential government
Created the No.10 policy unit in 1974
Harold Wilson
Factors that influence cabinet selection
Establishing authority. Ability.Rewarding loyalty. Balance of party factions. Diversity
An MP or member of the Lords appointed to a government position
Minister
The PM and senior ministers
Cabinet
Powers belonging to the monarch but exercised by PM or Cabinet
Royal prerogative
The structure of the Executive?
PM
Cabinet
Government Departments
Executive Agencies
What is the King’s Speech?
A yearly government programme of proposed legislation. Read by the monarch but written by the government.
The annual statement of government plans of spending and taxation
The budget
What is the ‘doctor’s mandate’?
The governments ability to pass emergency legislation to deal with unforeseen events
Law made without passing a new act of parliament
Secondary legislation
Enables a government to amend or repeal existing legislation without a new bill
Statutory instruments
Statutory instruments are criticised because?
They allow the government to avoid scrutiny
Prerogative powers include the ability to
Appoint ministers
Award honours
Sign treaties
Declare war
Convention by which ministers are responsible for their personal conduct and their departments
Individual responsibility
Convention by which ministers must support cabinet decisions or resign
Collective responsibility
PM between 1990-1997
John Major
PM between 1997-2007
Tony Blair
A person employed in the public sector by a government department
Civil Servant
Official name for the Poll Tax
Community Charge
Labour leader from 1983-1992
Neil Kinnock
Challenged Margaret Thatcher for the Conservative party leadership in 1990
Michael Heseltine
Major replaced Thatcher in this month and year
November 1990
The overall Conservative majority in the 1992 election
21
The newspaper that claimed to have won the 1992 election
The Sun
A middle ground alternative route between social democracy and neo liberalism
The Third Way
The part of the Labour constitution which advocated public ownership
Clause 4
Labour Leader from 1992-1994
John Smith
Chancellor from 1997-2007
Gordon Brown
Resigned from the Labour government in protest over the Iraq War
Robin Cook
