The PM + Executive

What is the executive made up of?

• PM

• Cabinet ministers

• Junior ministers

first among equals

• leader of government + chairs cabinet

• equal mandate = equal voice in cabinet

primus inter pares

6 Roles of PM

• Make governments

• Direct gov policy

• Manage cabinet

• Organise government

• Control parliament

• Provide National Leadership

May exercised the Royal prerogative by not asking parliament’s permission before ordering strikes on Syria in ___

2018

Johnson survived a no-confidence vote in June 2022, but __% of tory MPs did not back him, which was a significant blow to his authority

41%

In June 2022, Johnson even sacked _____ minister for Housing, after he advised Boris to resign.

Gove

By the time Johnson left office, the conservatives were _% behind labour in the polls, and the country was suffering from __% inflation and a cost of living crisis.

• 7%

• 10%

Johnson managed to prorogue parliament for _ weeks in 2019, before ruled unlawful by Miller II

5

In 2005, Blair only had a __ seat majority, compared to the __ seat majority of 1997

• 66

• 179

_____ is a Non-ministerial gov department, _____ by the Ministry of Ed, but reporting directly to ___ and the public

• Ofsted

• sponsored

• parliament

The outbreak of COVID shrank the economy by __% and caused ______ deaths in 2020

• 11%

• 88,000

Johnson’s popularity peaked at __% when he was hospitalised at the start of the pandemic, but swiftly plummeted due to mishandling of the pandemic.

68%

• sent highly sensitive official document on personal email to mp

• serious breach of ministerial code

• 2022 Suella Braverman

• IMR success (personal)

• Chief of standards found she had bullied in 3 gov departments (Clear breach of ministerial code)

• did not resign

• Johnson ‘stood by’ Patel, showing she had his confidence

• IMR failure (personal)

• 2020 Priti Patel

• Articles MUST be approved by no. 10

• did not adhere to no.10’s changes

• told not to publish by PM

• Sacked Nov 2023

• did NOT resign — failure of IMR

• IMR failure (personal)

• 2023 Suella Braverman

broke social distancing rules by having an affair with an aide

resigned june 2021

• IMR (personal)

• Matt Hancock 2021

Did NOT resign after a-level algorithm fiasco

Removed by cabinet reshuffle

• IMR failure (departmental)

• Gavin Williamson 2021

Could not support Blair’s decision of Iraq war

• CMR

• Robin Cooke 2003

In (___), _____ _____ resigne because he had ‘strong disagreements’ as government’s Rwanda plan ‘didn’t go far enough’

• CMR

• Robert Jennerick 2024

Disagreed with May’s brexit plan

• CMR

• Boris Johnson 2019

Times when CMR has been suspended

• Free votes in the HoC

• 2016 Brexit referendum (5 brexiteers)

• 2010 coalition (immigration, Europe and economy)

• 2003 Blair allowed Clare Short to remain in cabinet despite publicly opposing the Iraq war

• 1975 EEC referendum

The _____ __ ____ Act (____) is a positive example of Secondary Legislation being used to update the laws to new threats eg. Fentanyl

• Misuse of Drugs

• 1971

How many SIs were used to bring over EU law during Brexit?

600

The ___ ___ ______ is seeking judicial review of the use of SI due to lack of scrutiny

Good Law Project

In ____ Liberty won a high court case against Suella Braverman’s use of SIs to restrict the right of protest, despite the actual legislation being previously defeated in the commons.

2023

Secondary Legislation ____ be amended by parliament

cannot

What proportion of SIs implemented during the pandemic to restrict civil liberties were debated?

30/500

Royal Prerogative egs

• Declaring War (eg Iraq 2003)

• Pardons (eg Alan Turing)

• power of patronage (lord lebedev)

In ____ HM the Queen posthostumously pardoned Alan ____

• 2013

• Turing

How many prisoners receive a pardon a year on average? (usually in miscarriage of justices)

6

In ____ Cabinet rejected Blair’s proposal for ___ reform

• 1998

• electoral

What proportion of ministers resigned over the Chris Pincher scandal?

62/179

At its worst, May was still able to pass __% of legislation

46%

How many MPs rebelled against Thatcher and her 3-line whip in the Shops Bill 1986?

72

In ____, May’s Brexit deal was rejected by a majority of ___ MPs, making it the worst government defeat in history

• 2019

• 230

Only __ MPs voted against the Sunak’s Rwanda plan

11

PMs can use cabinet reshuffles to try and seize control of events, with Sunak’s ___ (____) reshuffle replacing Braverman with Cleverly, and placing ___ _____ as FS.

• Nov 2023

• Lord Cameron

Rishi Sunak backtracked his plan to restrict ____ ___ after cabinet opposition from _____, ____, _____ and _____, who argued that driving away foreign students could hit growth policy

• graduate visas

• Cleverly

• Hunt

• Keegan

• Cameron

Prime ministers appoint a chief Whip, HoC leader (____ ____) and HoL leader to ensure that government legislation passes into laws.

Lucy Powell

The use of SPads has increaced from __ under Major, __ under Blair and ___ under Johnson

• 8

• 50

• 126