parliament v the executive

what do the executive exist to carry out?

the wishes of parliament as it is sovereign

who does day-to-day power rest with?

the prime minister

what is a majority government?

where a single party controls most of the seats in parliament

what is a coalition?

a formal agreement for two parties to ally although they do not have to agree on everything

what is a confidence and supply agreement?

requires a smaller party to give support on issues of money and key policies

what is a recent example of a coalition government?

Cameron (conservative) and Clegg (lib dem) in 2010, with both parties holding cabinet positions and lib dems abstaining on votes on nuclear power and tuition fees, leading to disagreements and a backbench conservative rebellion

what is a recent example of a confidence and supply agreement?

2016-19 PM May did not have a majority despite calling a snap election, she depended on the DUP having agreed an extra £1 billion of funding for northern ireland

how does the PM's powers hinge on party unity?

they rely on whips which aim to maintain party discipline and instruct MP's each week on how to vote

when do backbench rebellions occur?

when ordinary MP's defy the party whip and vote against government policy, and can sometimes be a protest by an individual MP

when have rebellions become more common?

with the growth of internal divisions within parties from the 1970's onwards

what is an example of a backbench rebellion during Blair's government?

in 2003, 139 labour MP's refused to support the war against Iraq

what do government failures in actual votes lead to?

a breakdown in co-operation between the executive and its party, the whips inform the PM of MP's attitudes to persuade their backbenchers to still support the government

what is the most serious way parliament can challenge the executive?

a vote of no-confidence

who is a motion of no-confidence submitted to?

the speaker of the commons who decides if it is acceptable and allocates time for debate

what happens if a majority in parliament supports the motion of no-confidence?

government is considered to have lost the confidence of the house

what must a PM do by constitutional convention if they lose the confidence of the house?

resign to allow another government to be formed or request a dissolution of parliament which triggers a general election

when was the last successful vote of no-confidence?

in 1979 which brought down Callaghan's labour government

how is a PM's personal standing a factor that can influence the executives power?

hinges on performances in PMQ's or their standing abroad, such as meeting other leaders and getting good deals for the country

how are events a factor that can influence the executives power?

hinges on luck, the public perception of a government may turn on how it deals with disasters or the behaviour of its MP's

how is party unity a factor that can influence the executives power?

links to commons majority since rebellions matter less when the ruling party has a large majority

how is a commons majority a factor that can influence the executives power?

hinges on the results of a general election

how was a commons majority shown to influence the executives power in Blair's government?

in 2001, Blair's majority of 167 meant he could absorb rebellions, though in 2005, the minority of 65 meant a commons defeat