UK Prime Minister and Executive

Question 1

what does ‘primus inter pares’ mean?

Answer 1

first among equals

Question 2

what is Kavanagh’s theory of the office of the Prime Minster?

Answer 2

That Blair’s impact would be more permanent. Two types of change: dramatic increase in size of importance of Cabinet Office and Prime Ministers Private Office and change in Prime Ministers relationships with other bodies; importance of party and of parliament decreased.

Question 3

what is Hennessy’s theory of the Office of Prime Minister?

Answer 3

that the office is capable of being shaped by the office holder according to their wishes and according to circumstances as Britain is a parliamentary democracy and is a open, pluralist society

Question 4

what is an example of a ministerial resignation over IMR due to personal misconduct?

Answer 4

Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell in 2012 as he was accused of insulting policemen in downing street.

Question 5

what is an example of a ministerial resignation over IMR due to mistakes made within departments and how common are these types of resignations?

Answer 5

Agriculture minister sir Thomas Dugdale resigned in 1954 when mistakes made by civil servants in the Crichel Down case came to light.
Such cases are rare - reports into the sale of arms to Iraq and BSE uncovered mistakes in departments but no minister resigned.

Question 6

arguments that the prime minister has become more presidential?

Answer 6

• leadership in the executive has been personalised, with the prime minister expected to impose his or her personality and agenda
• prime ministers increasingly rely on a close circle of senior ministers and advisers
• prime ministers have created a ‘strategic space’ between themselves and their governments, distancing themselves from other actors in the executive
• prime ministers appeal to the public directly, through the media, and claim a personal mandate from the electorate
• prime ministers have additional authority as party leaders, where they are elected by MPs and members, and exercise personalised leadership

Question 7

arguments that the prime minister has not become more presidential?

Answer 7

• the prime minister leads but cannot command the executive, particularly in coalition, and directs rather than controls the agenda
• senior ministers have resources of their own, including support from government departments
• the prime minister needs the support of ministers and officials to achieve his or her objectives
• the prime ministers position is strong only if he or she enjoys policy success and popular approval, and makes effective use of his or her personal abilities
• support from the party is not unconditional and unpopular leaders face concerted efforts to remove them

Question 8

arguments that the powers of patronage and appointing ministers does invest the prime minister with significant powers?

Answer 8

• can appoint to house of lords and alter party balance (Blair appointed 162 labour peers)
• can appoint and dismiss cabinet ministers
• in theory can reward supporters and penalise disloyal MPs
• can reshuffle cabinet

Question 9

what are the three trends central to presidentialisation?

Answer 9

• personalised leadership (eg Thatcher and Blair)
• Public Outreach (eg Blair and Cameron)
• Spatial Leadership (Blairs ‘sofa government’ and the ‘Quad’)

Question 10

arguments that the powers of patronage and appointing ministers does not invest the prime minister with significant powers?

Answer 10

• The honours system: a policy inquiry into allegations of ‘cash for honours’ ended in 2007 without criminal charges being brought but it led to changes to the prime ministers role in the honours system. nominations now considered by honours committees made up of civil servants and people independent of government. prime minister accepts their list.
• the Prime minister now plays no role in judicial appointments and is only given one name to ecclesiastical appointments
• some colleagues may have claims to posts and may cause issues if not appointed
• 2010 coalition required David Cameron to appoint 5 liberal democrats to his cabinet
• a prime minister is unlikely to overlook senior party figures who may be rivals for their job
• In 2016, 15 ministers who had attended cabinet under Cameron, including George Osborne and Michael Gove, were not appointed to Mays first cabinet
• Ideological considerations also important (most ministers in Mays cabinet had campaigned to remain in the EU but leave campaigners were put in charge of departments that would deliver)
• power to cabinet reshuffle can backfire (eg Margaret Thatchers demotion of foreign secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe in 1989 had damaging consequences because his resignation a year later triggered Thatchers downfall)

Question 11

arguments that party leadership invests the prime minister with significant powers?

Answer 11

• government usually has a majority
• labour and conservative leaders are elected by their MPs and party members and this legitimises their position
• May won leadership election against Brexit candidates

Question 12

arguments that party leadership does not invest the prime minister with significant powers?

Answer 12

• Increased rebellion by backbench MPs means that a prime minister cannot always rely on party support (eg the conservative-lib dem coalition governments proposals on reform of House of Lords were dropped after a rebellion by conservative MPs and conservative rebellions on EU issues contributed to Camerons decision to a referendum on membership)
• Brown - no leadership election

Question 13

arguments that public standing invests the prime minister with significant powers?

Answer 13

-Thatcher and Blair made a significant impact on the world stage and had a strong relationship with the President of the US

Question 14

arguments that public standing does not invest the prime minister with significant powers?

Answer 14

• Obama not interested in ‘special relationship’ affecting Brown and Cameron
• Gordon Brown not good at ‘celebrity’

Question 15

arguments that authority in cabinet and policy making input invests the prime minister with significant powers?

Answer 15

• The prime minister chairs cabinet meetings, manages the agenda of cabinet meetings, and determines their frequency and length, directs and sums up cabinet discussions, creates cabinet committees and appoints their members, holds bilateral meetings with ministers, appoints senior civil servants and organises the structure of governments
• the prime minister can establish cabinet committees to drive forward their agenda (In 2016 May established and chaired a new economy and industrial strategy committee)
• the prime ministers policy-making role is not confined to a specific field. They have a license to get involved in issues across the political spectrum
• The prime minister is important when crises occur and takes and active interest in economic and foreign policy
• Thatcher played an active role in policy fields and in instances of policy success e.g. The Falklands wars strengthened her position
• Restructuring of Dept for education

Question 16

arguments that authority in cabinet and policy making input does not invest the prime minister with significant powers?

Answer 16

-If senior ministers have an alternative viewpoint it may make it harder for the Prime minister to get their way
-Poor management of the cabinet by a prime minister who is either too domineering or too indecisive will
weaken their authority
-The prime minister needs the backing of senior ministers on major issues. (Chancellor Nigel Lawson and foreign secretary Geoffrey Howe forced Thatcher to shift governmenttal policy on the European Exchange Rate Mechanism in 1989 by threatening to resign if she continued to rule out Britains entry into the system
-Poll tax and policy failure undermined Thatchers authority
-weak and indecisive - Major and May

Question 17

why did Amber Rudd resign?

Answer 17

for misleading house over windrush scandal

Question 18

why did Chris Huhme resign?

Answer 18

in 2012 for avoiding a speeding charge

Question 19

what roles does the PM have?

Answer 19

political leadership, national leadership, appointing the government, chairing the cabinet, managing the executive, prerogative powers, managing relations with parliament, representing the UK in international affairs

Question 20

what is an example of the UK prime minister taking military action without the approval of parliament?

Answer 20

Theresa may authorised the bombing of Syria in April 2018

Question 21

What is an example of cabinet minsiters resigning under Theresa May?

Answer 21

In order to try to establish an agreed cabinet position on a future EU deal, Theresa May gathered the cabinet. However, it soon became clear that not all of the cabinet were satisfied with the agreement.
Within 48 hours of Theresa May announcing that an agreement had been reached, David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, announced his resignation. Later the same day, it was revealed that then Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson would also be resigning - they both cited collective responsibility.

Question 22

What is individual ministerial responsibility?

Answer 22

The principle that ministers are responsible to parliament for their personal conduct and that of their department.

Question 23

What is collective responsibility

Answer 23

The principle that ministers must support cabinet decisions or resign from the government.

Question 24

what are the roles of the prime minister?

Answer 24

political leadership, national leadership, appointing the government, chairing the cabinet, managing the executive, prerogative powers, managing relations with parliament, representing the UK in international affairs.

Question 25

what are ministers expected to follow in regards to personal conduct.

Answer 25

The ‘seven principles of public life’ set out by the 1995 Nolan Committee on Standards in Public Life and included in the Ministerial Code. (removed from ministerial code in May 2022 by Boris Johnson)

Question 26

what is an example of the prime minister allowing a free vote for backbench MPs and cabinet ministers?

Answer 26

Cameron allowed a free vote on the Marriage Bill in 2013. Two cabinet ministers voted against the bill.

Question 27

How has Boris Johnson affected ministerial responsibility?

Answer 27

Boris Johnson watered down the ministerial code and blocked a bid to give his ethics advisor the power to investigate him, shortly after the release of the Sue Gray Report:

• In his introduction to the previous edition of the ministerial code, the Prime Minister said ministers must “uphold the very highest standards of propriety” but the new introduction says the code should “guide my ministers on how they should act and arrange their affairs”.
• The foreword no longer explicitly mentions the seven Nolan principles of public life - integrity, objectivity, accountability, transparency, honesty and leadership in the public interest

Question 28

How many times were May’s and Johnson’s governments defeated in parliament?

Answer 28

Theresa May’s government from 2017 to 2019 was defeated on 33 divisions in the House of Commons and Boris Johnson’s government from July 2019 until the general election in December was defeated on 12 divisions in the House of Commons. Johnson’s government has only been defeated four times since the 2019 general election.