Prime Minister and the Executive

What is the most important elements of the executive?

Prime Minister and the cabinet.

Who is the cabinet comprised of?

Chief whips and heads of state departments.

Who appoints the cabinet?

The Prime Minister.

Who comprises the executive?

• Prime Minister

• The cabinet

• 120 Junior ministers

• Senior civil servants

• The government

What does the core executive contain?

• Ministers

• Senior civil servants

• Political advisors

How does the PM and executive govern?

• Proposes new legislation based on their winning manifesto.

• Introduces legislation in response to political and social circumstances.

• Introduces budgets.

• Can introduce secondary legislation or delay legislation.

Define secondary legislation.

The process by which primary legislation can be commended by government departments without requiring another act of Parliament.

When was the role of the cabinet set out?

• Ministerial Code - 2010

• Cabinet Manual - 2010

What is the role of the cabinet?

• Ratify decisions made elsewhere.

• Discuss and take decisions on major issues of the day.

• Settle disputes between departments.

• Receive and respond to reports on key developments in politics.

Example of cabinet stopping disputes.

In 1985, Thatcher stopped the Westland dispute with Hestleline (the secretary of state for defence) From being discussed in Cabinet.

Where does prime ministerial power come from?

The monarch asking them to form a government.

Why are PM’s selected?

Because they can command support from the majority of MPs, and they have the support of their MPs.

Examples of PM’s losing government support.

• May

• Johnson

• Truss

An example of a PM not being the party leader of the winning party.

Churchill, asked by monarch to lead the UK through the war.

An example of the convention that the PM must be a commons member working.

In 1963, Lord Home resigned to secure his seat.

What are the powers of the PM?

• Determine government membership.

• Appoint people to the judiciary and the civil service.

• Recommend life peers.

• Negotiate foreign treaties.

• Direct combatant military forces.

• Control the UK’s trident military forces.

Example of government sharing the PMs royal prerogative.

In 2013, the ministry of justice requested a posthumous royal pardon for Turing who was arrested for homosexuality after cracking codes in WW2.

Example of a PM casting the narrative of their government.

Thatcher defined her government’s uncompromising spirits.

What are the roles of government departments?

• Manage a particular government area.

• Develop policy.

• Propose primary and secondary legislation.

Who are the key figures in government departments?

Secretary of state and junior ministers

What is the civil service’s role in government departments?

They offer impartial advice on any development or implementation due to their principles of neutrality, anonymity, and permanence.

What is individual ministerial responsiblity?

• Ministers are accountable to Parliament for the actions of their department.

• They are required to justify actions by written responses and select committees.

• They have a personal responsibility for serious administrative or policy mistakes.

An example of administrative failure in context with individual ministerial responsibility.

In 1954, Sir Thomas Dugdale resigned as minister of agriculture over Crichel Down case.

What was the Crichel Down case?

At the start of WW2, the government had forcibly bought land but the department of agriculture made mistakes over returning it after the war.

An example of policy failure in context with individual ministerial responsibility.

In 2020, Gavin Williamson abandoned the Covid-19 exam grading system after students received significantly lower grades than they were predicted, leaving the centre’s to grade the students. Johnson dismissed him in 2021 due to this incident.

An example of personal conduct in context with individual ministerial responsibility.

In 2021, Matt Hancock resigned after his affair was published in The Sun.

An example of political pressure in context with individual ministerial responsibility.

In 2012, Chief whip Andrew Mitchell resigned weeks after allegedly insulting police officers at the entrance of Downing street.

What is collective ministerial responsibility?

• If government loses a HoC vote of confidence, then the whole government must resign.

• Discussions within cabinet must be kept secret.

• Government members must publicly support agreed policies even if they disagree privately.

• A minister must resign if they cannot publicly agree with the government.

An example of a government losing a vote of confidence.

On the 28th March, 1979, Callaghan’s government lost 311:310.

An example of cabinet discussions not being kept secret.

May’s government saw many meetings being leaked.

An example of PMs temporarily suspending collective ministerial responsibility.

Cameron suspended it in 2016 for the EU referendum to help manage dissent and avoid resignations. Five Cabinet minister campaigned to leave but were denied access to civil service resources to support their position and were required to support the government’s position on all other positions.

An example of a high-profile collective ministerial responsibility resignation.

In 2003 Robin Cook resigned from Blair’s government over its preparations for the Iraq war. Cook was unconvinced that Hussein was a threat to the UK.

An example of a minister breaking collective ministerial responsibility.

Between 2010 and 2015, Vince Cable was a Liberal Democrat business secretary in the coalition government. In 2014, publicly criticised Osborne’s public expenditure cuts.

What are the functions of the cabinet?

• To approve decisions from the executive.

• To determine key policy issues.

• To decide how government will determine business.

• To resolve complicates disputes between departments.

• To develop and implement specific policy through cabinet committees.

What is the makeup of the cabinet?

20 - 25 senior government ministers.

An example of the cabinet resolving disputes.

Throughout the coalition government.

How is the cabinet selected?

Through Prime Minister appointments.

Limitations of PM appointments?

• Pressure to include their cabinet influential colleagues and dominant personalities.

• They must balance it to unite all party sections.

• A coalition restricts the rights of the PM.

Advantages of PM appointments?

• The PM can advance allies to key positions.

• It binds rival to collective responsibility.

Criticisms of the cabinet?

• The size precludes constructive debate.

• The centrality of a cabinet government has been questioned.

What kind of government has it been said the UK currently has?

A Prime-ministerial government.

Explain Callaghan’s government.

1976 - 1979 (Labour)

• He won after Wilson’s resignation.

• He was on the right of the labour party which was in a weakened state.

• He ran a minority government, making deals with smaller parties to get policies through.

When did Callaghan show control?

• He united party factions in the cabinet.

• His succes in deflationary policy and the cutting of public expenditure to reduce inflation and unemployment.

• Not calling a 1978 election.

When did Callaghan lack control?

The winter of discontent, leading to him losing a vote of no confidence - 311:310 - 28th March 1979.

Explain May’s government.

2016 - 2019

Conservative

Ideologically one-nation

When did May show control?

• In her statement’s over major events like the Russian Salisbury attacks.

• Her negotiations of a clear Brexit Withdrawal agreement.

When did May lack control?

• Her 2017 snap election where she had to enter a confidence and supply agreement with the DUP to resolve a hung parliament.

• Her appointment of enemies (Johnson as foreign secretary) to cabinet to keep them under her control, she had to confiscate their phones in meetings due to leekings.