PM and executive notes

Structure

Gov - Party in control - ‘24 Lab - 174 majority after election
Exec - Pm + Cabinet - All Secs of state

Role

Introduced legislation proposed in manifesto
Introduce gov budget

Power of PM

Direct transfer of royal prerogatives
Wage war - Starmer authorise defensive military action unilaterally in May ‘26
Appoint ministers - Suank cabinet reshuffles in Nov ‘23

Sources of PM power

Entire party support - no support = resign - Johnson 60 resignations in last 48 hours
Electorate - Party must be broadly supported and be most supported party in over 325 constituencies to form government
Monarchy - Technically formally appoints the leader of the most supported party to be the PM after election, never say no though as would be hugely controversial and unconstitutional

Individual ministerial responsibility

Ministers are accountable to Par for their actions and their departments actions
Required to follow ministerial code - updated by Starmer in ‘24 to allow independent advisors to investigate potential breaches without PM approval
Reasons for ministerial resignation: Policy failure - Gavin Williamson, A level results algorithm 2020; Scandal - Matt Hancock breach of own health policies 2021

Collective ministerial responsibility

Whole gov must resign if gov loses a vote of no confidence - Callaghan 1979 - 311 for, 310 against
Individuals feel their goals are incompatible with that that of their government - Johnson in 2018 as Foreign Secretary due to different view of a brexit deal with May