Prime minister and executive examples

1. Manchester Arena Bombing Response (May 2017)

📌 Held COBRA meetings, upgraded public‑event security and liaised with Trump on counter‑terrorism.
🧠 Shows the PM’s central role in national crisis management and inter‑governmental coordination.

2. Snap General Election (May 2017)

📌 Triggered on 19 April 2017; Commons approved 522–13 but Conservatives lost their parliamentary majority.
🧠 Illustrates risks of using the PM’s power to call elections—and how mandates can quickly evaporate.

3. “Get Brexit Done” Election (Johnson 2019)

📌 Campaigned on delivering Brexit, won an 80‑seat majority (365 seats) through strong whipping and media messaging.
🧠 Demonstrates how a PM leverages an electoral mandate, cabinet control and party discipline to push through flagship policy.

4. Partygate & Privileges Inquiry (Johnson 2021–22)

📌 Revelations of No 10 lockdown parties; a Commons privileges committee found the PM misled MPs.
🧠 Highlights parliamentary scrutiny tools (PMQs & committees) and media pressure keeping the executive to account.

5. July 2022 Johnson Cabinet Reshuffle & Downfall

📌 Pincher scandal sparked >50 ministerial resignations; reshuffle failed to restore confidence and Johnson resigned on 7 July.
🧠 Shows the PM’s reliance on ministerial loyalty—and how quickly executive authority can collapse.

6. Windrush Scandal & Rudd Resignation (2018)

📌 Home Office wrongfully detained

7. COVID‑19 Pandemic Response (Johnson 2020)

📌 Convened COBRA, launched an £70 bn furlough scheme (80% wages) with Rishi Sunak, and addressed 27 m viewers on TV.
🧠 Exemplifies executive leadership in a public‑health emergency and cross‑departmental collaboration.

8. Economic COVID Measures (Sunak 2020)

📌 Rolled out £330 bn in business loan guarantees, VAT cuts for hospitality and the furlough scheme costing >£70 bn.
🧠 Highlights the Chancellor’s role under the PM in fiscal policymaking and crisis‑driven resource allocation.

9. Miller v Secretary of State for Exiting the EU (2017)

📌 Supreme Court ruled the government must secure a full Commons vote before triggering Article 50.
🧠 Demonstrates judicial checks on PM prerogative powers and reinforces parliamentary sovereignty.

10. Maastricht Treaty Ratification (Major 1992)

📌 John Major chaired inclusive cabinet debates, overcame Eurosceptic Tory opposition, and secured Commons approval.
🧠 Shows the PM’s skill in managing internal party divisions and building consensus on international treaties.

11. Same‑Sex Marriage Act (Cameron 2013)

📌 Coalition introduced the bill Jan 2013; passed 400–175 in Feb 2013 with Lib Dem support outnumbering Tory rebels.
🧠 Illustrates coalition management, ministerial negotiation and the PM’s use of parliamentary arithmetic to enact reform.

12. Poll Tax Unrest & Thatcher Resignation (1990)

📌 Flat‑rate Community Charge sparked mass protests and a March riot; Thatcher resigned in November 1990.
🧠 Demonstrates how public backlash can force policy reversals and end even a dominant PM’s tenure.

13. Dominic Cummings’ Influence & Lockdown Breach (2019–20)

📌 As Johnson’s SPAD, he shaped Brexit messaging; breached COVID rules in May 2020 and resigned that November.
🧠 Highlights the power (and pitfalls) of special advisers in shaping executive policy and communications.

14. Rwanda Deportation Ruling (Sunak 2023)

📌 Supreme Court blocked the government’s plan to deport asylum‑seekers to Rwanda.
🧠 Shows judicial review limiting executive policy and underscores the PM’s accountability in human‑rights matters.

15. 2008 Financial Crisis Management (Brown)

📌 Gordon Brown nationalised major banks and injected capital to stabilise the economy.
🧠 Exemplifies the PM’s crisis decision‑making, use of state intervention and leadership in economic emergencies

17. Chequers Plan Cabinet Revolt (May, 2018)

📌 Theresa May’s Brexit White Paper (“Chequers”) triggered the resignations of David Davis and Boris Johnson on 7 July 2018.
🧠 Illustrates collective responsibility, the PM’s need to keep her cabinet united, and the limits of her control over senior ministers.

18. Kabul Airport Evacuation (Johnson, August 2021)

📌 Oversaw Operation Pitting: evacuated ~15,000 UK nationals and eligible Afghans after Taliban takeover.
🧠 Exemplifies the PM’s crisis leadership, coordinating military, diplomatic and Home Office efforts under intense time pressure.

19. Mini‑Budget Crash & Truss’s Resignation (Truss, Sept–Oct 2022)

📌 Announced unfunded tax cuts on 23 Sept 2022; gilt yields spiked, U‑turns followed, and Truss resigned on 20 Oct 2022.
🧠 Highlights the PM’s role in economic strategy, how market confidence can constrain fiscal policy, and ministerial accountability for policy failure.

20. Windsor Framework Agreement (Sunak, Feb 2023)

📌 Agreed with the EU on 27 Feb 2023 to ease Northern Ireland Protocol checks via “green lanes.”
🧠 Demonstrates the PM’s international negotiation role, using prerogative powers to resolve post‑Brexit trade disputes without further Acts of Parliament

16. EU Referendum Decision (Cameron, 2016)

📌 Invoked a public vote on 23 June 2016; Leave won 52–48%.
🧠 Shows how a PM can use—and be constrained by—a referendum to manage party splits and shift big decisions to the electorate.