Evaluate The View That The Power Of The Prime Minister Has Decreased Since 2010. (30)

POINT Unable to control their cabinets

1. Theresea May: Boris Johnson expressed dissatisfaction with May publicly. Johnson popularity in the CON party + her weakness meant she couldn't sack him.

2. Boris Johnson: over 50 resignations in one week, including Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid.

Undermines the power of the PM

COUNTERPOINT Prime Ministers can appoint cabinet ministers who share the same ideas.

Johnson appointed strong Brexit advocates such as Priti Patel.

Helped him build a cabinet that backed his decisions reducing challenges

strengthened control over government decisions

POINT Conventions have weakened prerogative powers

Now a convention that the HoC consent is required before enacting major military action.

2013 DC lost a vote on airstrikes (response to a chemical weapons attack) in Syria

Power is constrained by parliament

COUNTERPOINT Can still exercise their prerogative powers effectively.

2024 Sunak's gov carried out joint air strikes with the US against Houthi targets in response to the Yemeni group attacking cargo ships without parliamentary consent.

Ability to bypass parliamentary consent

POINT Governments frequently defeated in the HoC

T may defeated 33 times when she had a minority government and also suffered from the worst defeat in political history losing by 230 votes over her Brexit agreement.

Power dependent on parliamentary support when gov is a minority

COUNTERPOINT Government can still pass most of the legislation it wants through secondary legislation as it doesn't need a full vote in parliament

In 2023, the gov increased campaign spending limits for political parties by 80% this was implemented through a statutory instrument

Gov can make change without parliamentary debate

COUNTERPOINT (2) Large majority can strengthen the PM

Blair didn't lose a vote in 8 years

Pass legislation easily without any constraints.