pm & executive

what is the exec?

  • It’s another way of saying government, the terms are mostly interchangeable​

  • It is one of the three branches of power alongside legislature and judiciary​

  • The government – a political body – controls the executive, which is an organ of the state​

  • The core executive is the centre of power where key decisions are made. It is made up of elected ministers and appointed advisers or civil servants 

the pm » the cabinet » govt depts » executive agencies

  • the prime minister

    • Head of the executive who chairs the Cabinet and manages its agenda​

    • Appoints all members of the Cabinet and junior ministers. Decides who sits on cabinet committees​

    • Organises the structure of government – can create, abolish or merge department. 

  • the cabinet

    • 20-23 senior ministers​

    • Several senior figures who aren’t members but attend meetings​

    • Administrative support provide by the Cabinet Office and the Cabinet secretary​

    • Many decisions taken in cabinet committees

  • govt departments

    • each one responsible for an area of policy eg education

    • each headed by a Cabinet minister supported by junior ministers

  • executive agencies

    • semi-independent bodies that carry out some of the functions of govt departments eg the dvla

main duties of the executive:

  • development of govt policy

  • conducting foreign policy

  • organising defence of the country

  • managing state finances

  • responding to major crises

  • managing forces of law n order

  • drafting, securing and implementing legislation

  • managing services provided by the state

main components of the core executive:

  • the pm and close advisers

  • the cabinet

  • various info bodies

  • govt departments

  • the treasury

  • senior civil servants

  • advisers n think tanks

  • a few senior officials

core exec = c100

prerogative powers:

  • previously, the monarch had royal prerogative (arbitrary powers) that have gradually transferred to parliament and to govt and the prime minister during 18th n 19th centuries

  • w/o a monarch, there needed to be a decision-making figurehead, thus the important of the ‘prime’ minister developed

  • prerogative powers include: patronage, conducting foreign policy, negotiating foreign treaties n conducting military affairs

role n powers of pm today:

  • complete power to appoint/dismiss all govt ministers

  • power to negotiate foreign treaties and trade agreements with other states or international bodies

  • commander-in-chief of armed forces

    • needs parliament to ok military action

    • once under war, pm has general control of action

  • pm represents country internationally

  • heads the cabinet and sets agenda

  • sets tone of economic policy, along with (or sometimes in opposition to) Chancellor

caveats for PM may:

  • May’s reduced majority impacted on her powers somewhat:​

  • Her cabinet was picked to appease wings of her party and was finely balanced between Leavers and Remainers​

  • She felt unable to fire Priti Patel and allowed her to resign. She felt unable to fire Boris Johnson despite many high profile gaffes and his popularity with the grassroots. ​

  • May’s ability to negotiate Brexit was hampered by small majority (vote defeat) – Johnson’s majority meant he was easily able to push his version through – though it wasn’t as oven easy as first promised. His majority of 80 after 2019 election meant most votes can be won, even if some rebel.

caveats for boris:

  • However big the majority, the PM has to perform and also avoid as many errors as possible​

  • Johnson’s integrity took several hits that eventually became fatal:​

  • Wallpapergate​

  • Owen Paterson affair​

  • Lockdown Christmas parties​

  • Chris Pincher​

  • The result of these scandals has led to Boris needing Labour votes to pass Covid measures. 99 of his rebelled. After Pincher scandal record number of ministers and junior ministers resigned.​

truss caveats:

  • Had the 2019 majority but then:​

  • Ran an uninspiring leadership campaign​

  • Along with Kwasi Kwarteng crashed the economy​

  • Party conference a disaster​

  • Sacked Kwarteng but confidence in her gone​

  • Outlasted by the Daily Star lettuce

sunak:

  • Still has the 2019 majority but:​

  • Lost the leadership contest. There by default largely​

  • Has inherited a raft of problems – migration, recession, NHS in crisis, strikes​

  • Rebellions starting, 60+ Tories opposed his third Rwandan Bill​

  • Seen as a technocrat, not an inspiring leader​

  • Lacks ‘the vision thing’​

  • Seen as out of touch with everyday folk​

  • Latest poll suggests Tories could lose 200 seats in this year’s election​

  • Snappy dresser though

cabinet govt:

  • The cabinet sits at the centre of power in the UK political system​

  • Not necessarily for making decisions but for legitimising them​

  • Government policies must be approved by the cabinet if they are to considered official policy

nature of cabinet:

  • Consists of 20-25 members​

  • All picked by PM​

  • Many will be heads of key departments​

  • A few will not have specific ministerial responsibilities​

  • All must be either members of the HoC or the HoL​

  • Other ministers might be invited to attend​

  • Individuals will specific knowledge may be asked to present​

  • Chief whip attends​

  • Cabinet secretary (top civil servant) records minutes

other features:

  • Members are part of the governing party (except in coalition)​

  • Normally meets once a week (Thursday for 2 hours) but more so in emergencies​

  • PM chairs meeting, sets agenda and approves minutes​

  • Proceedings not revealed for 30 years​

  • Cabinet does not vote. PM seeks consensus. If a member wishes to publicly dissent, they must resign​

  • Cabinet members get a better salary

role of the cabinet:

  • Varies according to PM: Thatcher was the boss, Blair relied more on his Number 10 team, coalition had to take more note of it​

  • ‘Sofa politics’​

  • Security issues are always discussed in cabinet and any military action​

  • Cabinet key in discussing how policy should be presented​

  • Cabinet will discuss how to navigate agenda through parliament​

  • Cabinet can be see as a ‘clearing house’ for decisions

the cabinet system:

  • Better to think of it as the cabinet system, rather than the cabinet. Decisions arise from various sources:​

  • The PM – they develop proposals of their own, helped by advisers, close colleagues, think tanks, etc. ​

  • Cabinet committees – small groups, often led by a senior minister, who report back to wider cabinet​

  • The Chancellor – decides and forwards financial policy ​

  • Individual ministers – if policy directly related to their department​

  • Groups of ministers may present a policy in cabinet but widely known about beforehand

pm power:

  • PM is public face of the government. Gives him natural authority​

  • PM enjoys prerogative powers​

  • PM patronage – he can control their job and thus their loyalty​

  • PM has wide range of individuals or bodies to call on for advice. Machinery of Number 10​

  • Chairs cabinet and controls agenda

cabinet power:

  • If determined enough, a majority of members can overrule the PM.​

  • Other powerful ministers in cabinet may garner huge support and thwart PM. Gordon Brown during Blair years, for example​

  • Party may be divided by an issue that splits cabinet too – Major and Cabinet by Eurosceptics, May by Remainers and Leavers - makes cabinet less compliant. Some disagreement about lockdown in Boris cabinet and now resignations over the Rwandan Bill for Sunak.​

  • Cabinet can help remove a PM from office – Thatcher in 1990. for example. Boris toppled by resignations from Cabinet and from other ministers and backbenchers