Prime minister and the executive

what makes up the executive?

-prime minister, caibnet ministes and junior ministers.

what are the 3 main roles of the executive?

-poposing legislation

-proposing a budget

-the day to day running of hte country

what is the role of senio ministers?

-senior ministers usually have a role in the cabinet.
-they help reach final decisions on major issues, solve disputes between government departments, and participate in cabinet committees.

what is the role of junior minsiters?

-Junior ministers support the senior ministers in the department.

-they are usually in chargeo f specific areas within the department, while the cabinet minister is responsible for the entire department.

what are the 5 main roles of the caibent?

-make formal decisions - policy becomes official when its approved by the cabinet.

-coordinate government policy

-providing a forum

-manage parliamentery business

-manage emergencies.

what is the role of cabinet committees?

-cabinet committees are group of cabinet ministers, designed to allow discussions and decisions to take place with fewer ministers than the full cabinet.

(the significance of cabinet) what are two examples in which prime minissters had to resign when they lost support form their cabinets?

-margarert thatcher (1990)

-boris johnson (2022)

(the signifiance of cabinet) how did the cabinet influence the governments actions during the suez war?

-during the suez conflict in 1956, Anthony Eden was forced to announced a ceasefire against egypt, as his cabinet refused to support hostility.

(the significance of cabinet) how did harold wilsons lack of support from cabinet harm him?

-in 1969, Harold Wilson failed to combat growing trade union power.
-leading members of the cabinet, such as home secretary James Callaghan, refused to support him.

(cabinet is not sigficant) what was the kitchen cabinet?

-Harold Wilson made key decisions through a body of core advisors in his downing street flat.

(the significance of cabinet) what was the caibnets role during hte syrian governments presumed use of chemical weapons?

-in 2018, Theresa May called an urgent meeting to discuss a military response to the Syrian governments presumed use of chemical weaponry.

-She knew she could rely on the support of cabinet, as she did not intend to consult the commons.

(caibnet is not significant) how do blairs special advisers undermine cabinet?

-Blair was reliant on SPADS (special advisor) for advice rather than the civil service.

-Blair’s successors have continued to use SPADS to develop policy.

-Dominic Cummings played a vital role in deciding polciy for Boris Johnson.

(caibnet is not significant) how did thatchers premiership show the weakness of cabinet?

-Thatcher had a clear political vision, and forced through policy such as the Poll Tax through the Cabinet without sufficient debate.

what is the principle of collective minsiteral responsiblity?

-Collective ministerial responsibility is the convention which requires all members of the government to support policy and do not question it in public.

what are the 3 main aims of collective ministerial responsiblity?

-ensure a united front against opposistion

-allows cabinet discussions to remain private, and disagreements confidential

-binds the government together as all ministers are responsible for failures and success’s.

(collective ministerial responsibility is still significant) who resigned and when over collective ministerial resonsbiiltiy during the iraq war?

-in 2003, Robin Cook resigned from Blair’s government as he was unconvinced that Saddam Hussein served a threat ot the UK’s defence.

(collective ministerial resonibility is still significant) who resigned and when over colletive miniserial responsbility during the brexit negotiations?

-in 2018, Boris Johnson resigned as foreign secretary from May’s cabinet as he refused to support her Chequers agreement as the basis for an EU withdrawal deal.

(colective ministerial responsibilty is still significant) who resigned and when over margaret thatchers eurospectism?

-Pro European Geoffrey Howe resigned from the Thatcher government in 1990 two days after Margaret Thatcher gave her famous “no no no” speech in which she attacked the prospect of European Federalism.

(collective miniseterial responsibiltiy is not significant) which 3 ministers challenged harold wilsons government, why, and when? did they reisgn?

-in 1974, 3 members of Harold Wilson’s government backed the Labour National Executive Council in condemning joint UK/South Africa naval exercises as a “gross error”

-while Wilson stated that this meant that the 3 ministers “did not wish to continue as a member of this administration” they did not resign.

(collective miniseterial responsibiltiy is not significant) during the coalition, who repeatdly broke collective ministerial responsibilty and didnt resign? why?

-Between 2010 and 2015, Vince Cable, the Lib Dem’s business secretary, was frequently critical of the tories.

-in 2014, he publically condemned George Osborne’s cuts to public spending in his Autumn Budget statement.

(collective miniseterial responsibiltiy is not significant) who suspended collective ministerail repsonibility over the heathrow situation? why and when?

-in 2016, Theresa May temporarliy suspended collective ministerial responsbility over controversial government plans to expand heathrow.

-Boris Johnson and Justine Greening were openly against the plans.

(collective miniseterial responsibiltiy is not significant) what are examples of CMR being broken through arguments between the lib dems and tories during the coaltition?

-lib dems opposed the construction of nuclear power stations, and a trident renewal.

-tories and lib dems campaigned on different sides during the 2011 AV referendum

-in 2014, Nick Clegg publically stated he would not support Cameron if he sought commons approval to bomb IS targets in Syria.

(collective miniseterial responsibiltiy is not significant) what is an example of ministers breaking CMR over the possibiolity of a no deal brexit?

-in 2019, 13 minsiters in May’s government abstained on a vote to stop a “no deal brexit” even though May wanted to keep “no deal” an option.

whait is individual ministerial responsibility?

-ministers are accountable for their own actions and hte actions of their department.

(individual ministerial responsiblity is still significant) whats an example of a minister resigning over IMR following ww2?

-in 1954, SIr Thomas Dugdale resigned as minister of agriculture when his department failed to return land to its rightful owner after it had been purchased as a bombing range before WWII.

-he stated that he, “as minister must accept full responsbility for any mistakes and ineffencies of officials in my department.”

(individual ministerial responsiblity is still significant) what is an example of a mninster resigining over IMR from thatchers cabinet due to pol,licy failure:?

-in 1982, Lord Carrington resigned as foreign secretary from Thatcher’s government.

-he felt that his foreign office could have been more aware of Argentinas intentions prior to hte falklands war.

(individual ministerial responsiblity is still significant) whats an example of a mninster resigining over IMR from blairs government due to policy fliure?

-in 2002, Tony Blair’s education secretary, Estelle Morris, resigned as she took responsibility for poor A level grade fixing.

in what occasions can minister hold ont ooffice despirte intesne parliamentary and media critcism of them/ their departments?

-some ministers may argue that they are not personally respnosbile for actions of their department, and that responsibility lies with the entire government, rather than themselves.

(individual ministerial responsiblity is not significant)during john majors government, what is an example of a minister not resigning over poolicy failure, as he blames john major instead?

-in 1992, The Major government abandoned the European Exchange Rate Mechanism.

-having raised interest rates by 5% in an attempt to maintain membership, Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Larmont refused to resign as he claimed that since Major did not resign, he has not duty to resign.

(individual ministerial responsiblity is still significant) what is an example of a education minister NOT resigning following poor a level/gcse grading?

-in 2020, Schools were guided to provide assessed garding through an algorithm due to Covid 19.

-this led to many A level pupils not getting the grades they needed for University. While Education secretary Williamson abandoned the policy, he kept his post in government.

(individual ministerial responsiblity is still significant)whats an example of a health sectretary resigning over a sex scandal?

-in 2021, The Sun newspaper published pictures of Health Secretary Matt Hancock kissing a colleague, ignoring distancing regulations..

-this caused a public outcry, leading to his resignition.

(individual ministerial responsiblity is still significant) whats an example of a minister of state resigning over media coverage of his abusive language against civil sevants?

-in 2022, Gavin Williamson resigned from Sunak’s government following media coverage him sending abusive texts to the conservative chief whip over his lack of an invitation to the funeral of the queen.

what idd harold macmillan say in terms of what decides how much power the prime minsiter has?

hardol macmillan stated that the power of hte prime minister depends on “events, dear boy, events”

(the prime minister is not the dominant force in politics) how did james callaghan lose his “dominance” due to events?

-James Callaghan was initially an authoratitve PM, with his strong approval rating and popular deflationary measures.

-however, in 1978 his authority was undermined by industrial strikes during the “winter of discontent.”

-his government eventually lost of a vote of no confidence in the commons.

(the prime minister is not the dominant force in politics) how did john major lose his “dominance” due to events?

-John Major was initally praised, as he ditched the unpopular poll tax and organised an opt out from the social chapter of the Maastricht Treaty.

-however, divisions in his party over Euroscepciticsm, and allegations of ministerial sleaze, paired with Blair’s combative leadership of Labour led to his downfall.

(the prime minister is not the dominant force in politics) how did events cause david cameron to lose his “dominance”

-Cameron initally had authority, as he was able to legalise gay marriage despite opposistion from large numbers of traditionalist conservatives.

-However, the circumstances of the coalition meant cameron had to allow a referendum on electoral reform.

(the prime minister is not the dominant force in politics) how did events cause boris johnson to lose his dominance over politics?

-Johnson was initally presidential, achieiving a highly personal 2019 victory with his “get brexit done” campaign.

-however, allegations that he broke lockdown regulatinos and misled parliament led to his fall from power:

-resignations of minsiters such as Rishi Sunak, extreme media backlesh led to 41% of Tory MP’s voting against him in a vote of no confidence resulting in his resignation.

(the prime minister is the presidential, dominant force in politics) how did the mileniium dome show balirs dominance?

-Blair was personally invested in building the millenium dome. while his cabinet opposed it, he ignored them and the plans continued.

(the prime minister is the presidential, dominant force in politics) how did the iraq war show blairs dominance?

-the 2016 Chilcot report has shown that Blair failed to consult his Cabinet over the Iraq war.