Executive-Plmt relationship

Post-1960s — 2 causes of rise of E power > P power

1. Rise of TV and social media has meant that there’s a focus on the PM and senior ministers

• Members of the executive with a good public presence and media image profited off this to improve their mandate

• The Executive were given more status in the public eye

2. Popularity of presidential leadership style (Blair)

Post-1960s - 3 reforms to limit E power

1. House of Lords Act 1999 - removal of hereditary peers

• Lords more willing to assert selves and check the Executive

2. Wright Reforms - chairs of Select Committees elected

• Whips have less influence on the election of the chairs

  • Attracts a higher standard of MPs as they want a job away from the govt

• Increased salary of chairs

3. Creation of the Backbench Business Committee

• Allowed MPs more Plmtary time outside of govt control

Post-1960s - 5 limits of the reforms

1. Reforms made were only marginal

2. Lords still unable to veto the executive

3. Select committees still majority compsoed of govt MPs

4. PMs can cancel SC meetings

5. Backbench business committee only controls 23 days of the Plmtary calendar

Johnson and his 2 attempts to undermine Plmtary control

• Started the process of electing Liason Committee chairs

• Attempted to scrap the Fixed Term Plmts Act

Starmer — 2 examples of his control over P

• Starmer has a huge majority and is gaining control of his MPs

• 3-line whip on winter fuel payment meant 12 MPs were sanctioned for not voting or voting against the govt

• July 2024 - 7 Labour MPs lost the whip for rebelling against the govt regarding the 2 child benefit cap

Elective dictatorship — 2 PMs

• Blair and Thatcher ran the executive as an elective dictatorship and controlled Plmt

Electoral mandate

• Executive has a majority and therefore an electoral mandate to carry out their manifesto commitments

• This is especially important in the case of a large majority and clear mandate

E > P in terms of scrutiny

1. Executive has more resources which means it is difficult for backbenchers to scrutinise them

2. The rise of planted questions also means MPs are unable to ask the questions they need to in order to hold the govt accountable

3. Johnson and other ministers, such as Priti Patel, cancelled their Select Committee appointments which rendered its function of scrutiny useless

E > P — sovereignty

• Plmt exercising its sovereignty would threaten the democratic legitmacy of the govt

• The govt therefore steals plmt’s sovereignty

E > P - Lords

• Limits on the Lords prevent it from exercising power over the executive

• Lords felt unable to intervene during Johnson’s stint as PM due to the Commons following the lead of the Exec

4 examples of circumstances → E > P

1. Weak opposition leaders

2. Large majority

3. Party unity

4. Popular media image

4 weak opposition leaders

1. Miliband (Cameron)

2. Badenoch (Starmer)

3. Duncan-Smith (Blair)

4. Corbyn (Johnson)

Constitutional reform → P > E

• Constitutional reform has given more power to Plmt, and in some cases taken power from the Executive

• Wright Reforms

  • Gave more scrutiny powers to backbenchers

  • Executive has less control over appointments to select committees

P > E - balance of power

• Coalitions, small majority and minority govts (2010-9) mean there’s a better balance of power

P > E - sovereignty

• Plmt is sovreign

2 examples of legislative ways P > E

• The Commons can veto policies

• Both houses can change legislation

3 examples of P > E - scrutiny

1. Question Time

2. Select committees call the govt to account

• Liason committee targets the PM to make sure they are being held accountable

3. Vocal opposition can force the govt to withdraw a proposal

Votes of no confidence

• Plmt can pass a vote of no confidence and force a general election

Backbench MPs

• Backbench MPs can express concern via the whips

Conventions

• Convention can be defied

  • E.g. the Lords can defy the Salisbury convention, which is the convention that dictates they cannot vote down any legislation at the second or third reading that was included in the govt’s manifesto

4 circumstances that → P > E

• Weak majority

• Minority

• Internal splits

• Bad media image

  • All of the biggest govt defeats have occurred during a minority govt

    • May lost Brexit vote by 230 votes

    • MacDonald

P > E - opposition

• Receives Short Money and special privileges (6 qs at PMQs, Opposition Days) to check E