The powers of the Prime Minister and the cabinet

How does Parliament contribute to the power of the PM?

Labour will nearly always have a majority in Parliament, so the PM will be strenghthened. More generally, the Government can be dismissed with a vote of no confidence and can vote against the budget.

What happens if the PM has a lack of Parliamentary majority? (Theresa May)

May had to convince 10 DUP MPs to support the Conservative in the budget and the vote of no confidence, in confidence-and-supply agreement. However, they don’t even go to the House of Commons anyway. Lead to a very weak Government as she struggled to pass legislation, especially hindering Brexit laws.

Example to illustrate the importance of special advisors over the Prime Minister

Dominic Cummings played a central role in policy decisions during Johnson’s premiership, including the handling of the Covid - 19 pandemic, which affected the whole of the UK. Although he faced scrutiny for his controversial methods, he had a huge influence over the PM

Example to illustrate how a party can limit the power of the PM

Boris Johnson faced heavy amounts of criticism from his Conservative MPs over his organisation of parties held at Downing Street in the Covid - 19 pandemic. This was further exacerbated by the media calling it “party gate”, which incentivised people to submit letters of no confidence, and many members of his Cabinet resigned. This tainted his power significantly, as before, he had a 78 seat majority, showing the importance of a party on the power of a PM.

Best example to illustrate that a Prime Minister with a large majority can still be limited in their power

Liz Truss inherited Johnson’s 78 seat majority. However, she only lasted 49 days in office as she sent economics spiralling in her mini - budget. She was forced to resign by her party, after the economic chaos she caused.

Best example to illustrate that decision - making of the Government can still take place in cabinet

In Covid 19, the Cabinet played a crucial role in shaping the Government decisions in response to the crisis. eg. national lockdowns were discussed and approved by Cabinet with input from Health Secretary and Chancellor. This shows the importance of Cabinet ministers in times of crisis, as it wasn’t efficient to consult Parliament on every issue. Also, the ministers with more experience in some aspects eg. Health, can give vital advice to the PM

Best example to illustrate that the PM has power over the cabinet in taking decisions

Margaret Thatcher was known as the “Iron Lady”, a very forceful, and authoritative leader, who dominated over her Cabinet in decision making. She called her opposition in Cabinets “wets” who opposed her economic policies on privatisation.

What is a “prime ministerial Government”?

The Prime Ministers were expected to dominate Government completely