The Prime Minister and the Cabinet

What is the core executive

• PM (head of government)

• Cabinet (senior ministers of hi work alongside the PM)

• Civil servants (politically neutral administrators)

• Cabinet committees (smaller groups focusing on specific policy areas)

• Cabinet Office (coordinated government work)

Elective dictatorship

When the executive dominates the legislature

How is the Prime Minister chosen + leaves office

• not directly voted on

• PM is the leader of the party that can command a majority in the House of Commons

• Leaves office by: election defeat, resignation, party pressure or personal choice

4 main roles of the executive

1. Making policy → setting political priorities, deciding policy, with the PM playing a coordinating role being able to steer decisions

2. Passing legislation → major bills originate at cabinet level, the executive discussed and approves proposed legislation

3. Financing decisions → deciding on taxation and government spending

4. Being the national first responder → during crisis the executive must respond quickly and effectively

Prerogative powers

• patronage (appoint and dismiss ministers)

• Military deployment

• International relations (representing the UK)

• Treaty-making (government can negotiate)

• Civil service organisation (determine structure of civil service)

Arguments for and against the significance of prerogative powers

For:

• military deployment → the government dosent need the commons approval to deploy armed forces overseas

• Unlimited ministerial choice → free rein over government appointments

• Crisis leadership

Against:

• cabinet diversity requirements I.e Theresa May has to have Remainers and Brexiteers in the cabinet

• Parliamentary scrutiny of emergencies

• Brexit limitations → Supreme Court ruling like Boris Johnson

Role of the Prime Minister in reflections from previous PM’s

• Margaret Thatcher said she had to learn to “carve the joint” when needing to remove and reshuffle ministers

• Tony Blair reflected that giving advice is far easier than actually taking the decision

Presidentialism

Refers to the criticism that the Prime Minister has adopted a more presidential style of leadership

Thatcher and Blair → presidential?

Thatcher:

• Divided cabinet

• Dominate image “Iron Lady”

• International presence e.g Falklands War

Blair:

• Dominating government

• ‘sofa government’

The Quad → Power concentration in coalition government

Real authority in the 2010-15 coalition rested in the ‘Quad’ consisting of four key figures:

1. Prime minister David Cameron (conservative)

2. Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg (liberal democrats)

3. Chancellor George Osborne (conservative)

4. Chief secretary to the treasurer Danny Alexander (liberal democrats)

With major decisions being made between this group showing how power can become concentrated in the hands of a few key individuals

The rise in special advisors showing a presidential nature

These are political and personal appointments made by the PM, they are policy advisors often believed to wield excessive power over the prime minister at the expense of fellow ministers

Boris Johnson’s government employed 108 special advisors

The case against presidentialism

• no change in prime minister power

• Exaggerated power and role of special advisors

• Image-aware prime ministers want to present themselves as collaborative

Factors affecting policy making

• manifesto pledges

• Personal convictions of the prime minister (ideological beliefs)

• Outcome of referendums

• Results of deals with minor parties

• Response to national crisis

• Pressure from public and media

3 examples in o show the extent of prime minister power to dictate policy

• Poll tax 1990 by Margaret Thatcher → regarded as thatchers biggest political misjudgment , major media criticism, internal party divides

• 2003 Iraq invasion by Tony Blair → sofa government mean there was limited collective decision making

• 2017 snap election by Theresa May → prerogative powers

Individual ministerial responsibility

• Ministers are answerable to Parliament for everything that happens in their department, they are expected to resign if something goes wrong

• Angela Rayner resigned due to personal misconduct

Collective ministerial responsibility

The government speaks with one voice, confidential meetings, every minister must publicly support and vote with the government if they can’t support they are set to resign.

• Wes Streeting resignation as health secretary