PM and the executive examples

Question 1

What shows that the prerogative power of deployment of the armed forces overseas has been strained in recent years.

Answer 1

It appeared that parliamentary approval for the deployment of armed forces overseas was becoming a constitutional convention. Tony Blair sought parliamentary approval for U.K. participation in the invasion of Iraq in 2003. David Cameron didn’t launch air strikes on Syria when Parliament voted against them in 2013, but did when Parliament gave approval in 2015. However, in 2018, Theresa May ordered missile strikes in Syria without seeking prior parliamentary authority. She argued that swift action had been necessary and claimed that Parliament could hold her to account for her decision - the government won a vote on military action after air strikes had taken place. May accepted that Parliament should have been consulted before major military operations.

Question 2

What shows that the executive’s power to call an election early has become strained?

Answer 2

Prior to the fixed term Parliaments Act 2011, the Prime minister could ask the monarch to dissolve Parliament and call an early general election. The Act provides for an early election if two thirds of MPs approve in a vote in the HOC. In 2017, MPs approved a motion for an early election by 522 votes to 13. In 2019, three votes on holding an early general election failed to reach a two thirds threshold, but MPs then by-passed the Fixed Term Parliaments Act and approved, by a simple majority the Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019. The Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 repealed the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011.

Question 3

What court cases show that the executive’s prerogative powers have become strained in recent years?

Answer 3

In R Miller V secretary for Exiting The European Union, the Supreme Court ruled that the government did not have the prerogative power to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty without the involvement of Parliament. Then, in R Miller V The Prime Minister and Cherry V Advocate General for Scotland, the Supreme Court ruled that Johnson’s advice to the queen to prorogue parliament for five weeks at a critical juncture in the Brexit negotiations was unlawful.

Question 4

What is an example of the government using secondary legislation to implement policy

Answer 4

Many Brexit and Covid rules were secondary legislation, with some coming into effect at very short notice

Question 5

How has the use of secondary legislation changed in recent years.

Answer 5

Until 2014, there was consistently about 3,500 SIs, but by 2016, this had dropped to 1,250. This has slowly risen since 2016, reaching just over 1,500 in 2020.

Question 6

What example highlights that it is a constitutional requirement that the Prime Minister must be an MP

Answer 6

The Earl of Home renounced his hereitary peerage to become Alec Douglas Home, and stood successfully in a by-election for the Commons. He became leader of the Conservatives when Harold MacMillan died and became Prime Minister

Question 7

What example shows a PM having to step down because they were no longer leader of their party?

Answer 7

Margaret Thatdher resigned after failing to win the Conservative leadership election

Question 8

Example of a minority government

Answer 8

Conservatives in 2017, agreeing a ‘confidence and supply deal’ with the DUP

Question 9

How did Tony Blair use patronage powers?

Answer 9

He increased Labour’s representation within the HOL by appointing 162 Labour peers

Question 10

How did Johnson use his patronage powers?

Answer 10

He was criticised for appointing more Conservative life peers at a time when the HOL wanted to reduce its membership. He appointed his chief Brexit negotiator David Frost to the Lords in 2021 and gave him a cabinet position

Question 11

What is an example of a prime minister having to appoint a senior party figure to their party, even though they were a rival for their job?

Answer 11

Brown agreed not to stand against Blair in the 1995 Labour leadership election and in return received assurances that he would become chancellor in a Labour government. Blair was required by Labour Party rules to select his first cabinet from those previously elected to the shadow cabinet by Labour MPs

Question 12

What are example of PMs having to appoint cabinet ministers from both sides of the party

Answer 12

Thatcher included the economic dries and wets to her first cabinet, but gave key positions to the former. New Labour dominated Blair’s cabinet, but Old Labour was present was appeased with the appointment of John Prescott as deputy PM. May’s cabinet had campaigned for retain in 2016, but leave campaigners Boris Johnson and David Davis were put in charge of departments that would deliver Brexit.

Question 13

What was Johnson’s cabinet like demographically?

Answer 13

It was noticeably ethically diverse, with 7 from BAME backgrounds. But only 8 out of 30 were women

Question 14

What are some examples of cabinet reshuffles which backfired

Answer 14

Harold MacMillan’s 1962 reshuffle was dubbed the ‘night of the long knives’, in which he sacked seven cabinet ministers. Thatcher’s demotion of foreign secreatry Sir Geoff Howe in 1989 had damaging consequences because his resignation a year later triggered Thatcher’s downfall. Johnson’s reshuffle ran into problems when chancellor Sajid Javid resigned after refusing the Prime minister’s demand to replace his special advisors

Question 15

What is an example of a minister refusing to change post in a cabinet reshuffle

Answer 15

Brown planned to make Ed Balls chancellor in 2009, but the incumbent, Alastair Darling, refused to accept another post and Brown relented. May’s 2018 reshuffle was derailed when Jeremy Hung argued successfully that he should not be moved from his post as secretary for health and was given extra responsibility for social care

Question 16

What’s an example of a Pm establishing a cabinet committee

Answer 16

Johnson’s committe on the union

Question 17

What is an example of the pm restructuring the government

Answer 17

Johnson closed the department for International development and transferred its function to the foreign office

Question 18

What’s an example of a cabinet and senior ministers not supporting a PM’s policy making input?

Answer 18

Chancellor Nigel Lawson and foreign secretary Geoffrey Howe forced Thatched to shift government policy on the European Exchange Rate Mechanism in 1989 by threatening to resign is she continued to rule out the UK’s entry into the system

Question 19

What is an example of a leader facing backbench rebellion and therefore policy being forced upon the government

Answer 19

The coalition’s proposal on reforming the HOL was dropped by rebellion from Conservative MPs and Conservative rebellion on EU issues contributed to Cameron’s decision to promise a referendum on membership

Question 20

How did Thatcher and May’s public standing affect their authority?

Answer 20

Thatched polarised opinion but was widely regarded as a strong leader. This image was profitable for much of her premiership, but at the end she was viewed as autocratic. May’s poor performance in 2017 general election campaign weakened her position

Question 21

How many minister’s did Johnson and Cameron each allow to attend their cabinet even though they weren’t paid

Answer 21

Cameron = 10 in 2012, Johnson = 6 in 2021

Question 22

What is an example of a Lord heading a major government department?

Answer 22

Baroness Morgan retained her position as Secretary of State for digital, culture, media and sport for 3 months (2019-2020) after standing down as an MP and joining the Lords

Question 23

How has the frequency and length of cabinet meetings changed since 1950? How did it vary under Blair and Cameron?

Answer 23

Fallen: Then, it tended to meet twice a week, but now it’s meetings are just once a week when parliament is in session. Blair’s cabinet meetings tended to last an hour, with some over in half that time. Meetings were longer under Cameron because he adopted a more collegiate style in his first years in office, but he came to prefer to do business outside of the cabinet

Question 24

How did Johnson streamline the structure of cabinet committees?

Answer 24

In 2020, Johnson chaired 7 of the 14 cabinet committees, including those on Brexit and Covid Strategy, but senior ministers chaired those dealing with implementation and operations. The cabinet committee on Covid-19 strategy played an important par in determining policy in the early stages of the pandemic. But meetings of a ‘quad’ of senior ministers - Johnson, chancellor Sunak, health secretary Matt Hancock and cabinet office minister Michael Gove- then became more significant

Question 25

What did Ken Clarke report about cabinet meetings during his time as a senior minister under Thatcher, Major and Cameron

Answer 25

The level of discussion declined noticeably during this period and many of Cameron’s meetings were taken up by departmental reports rather than discussion

Question 26

How did the importance of cabinet meetings under May shift?

Answer 26

Cabinet meetings on Brexit policy proved significant after May’s authority was reduced by her loss of majority. In July 2018, cabinet ministers meeting at Chequers agreed May’s strategy for Brexit, but days later, Secretary of State for exiting the EU David Davis and foreign secretary Johnson resigned in opposition to the plan. Divisions on Brexit were also evident in cabinet meetings in 2019 as collective responsibility broke down

Question 27

When did the role of the cabinet as a court not work smoothly?

Answer 27

In the 1985 Westland affair, defence secretary Michael Heseltine resigned because he was unhappy with Thatcher’s ruling that the cabinet would not hear his appeal against a cabinet committee decision on the award of a defence contract

Question 28

When has a government minister had to resign as they would not accept a binding decision?
x2

Answer 28

In 2003, Robin Cook resigned as leader of the HOC the day before Parliament was due to vote on the Blair government’s decision to join the USA in the invasion of Iraq without a second United Nations resolution. Cook had expressed concerns about military action in cabinet and resigned when he couldn’t accept collective responsibility for the decision

Five cabinet ministers resigned in opposition to May’s Brexit policy, including the foreign secretary and two secretaries for exiting the EU

Question 29

What is an example of collective responsibility being suspended during a referendum?
x2

Answer 29

Conservative and Liberal Democrat ministers were permitted by the coalition to campaign on opposite sides in the 2011 alternate vote referendum

In the 2016 EU referendum, Cameron allowed ministers to take a personal decision whether to campaign to leave the EU, even though the government’s position was to support membership. They were however, denied access to civil service resources to support their stance on the EU. Five ministers campaigned to leave

Question 30

What were the four instances when the coalition government ministers would not be bound by collective responsibility

Answer 30

permitted to abstain on the construction of new nuclear power stations
tax allowances for married couples
higher education funding
case against renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent

Question 31

When did collective responsibility completely break down in the coalition government?

Answer 31

The Liberal Democrat’s responded to the abandonment of legislation on HOL reform by withdrawing support for changing constituency boundaries, with their ministers voting against the changes in 2013

Question 32

What is an example of a free vote?
x3

Answer 32

Cameron allowed a free fire on the marriage (same sex couples) bill in 2013. Two cabinet ministers voted against the bill
2015 abortion vote on the grounds of the sex of the unborn child
2019 vote on abortion rights in NI

Question 33

When has there been a leak which has put a strain on collective responsibility?

Answer 33

Defence secretary Gavin Williamson was sacked in 2019 after leaking information presented by the National Security council

Question 34

When was there a strain on collective responsibility through dissent and non-resignation
x2

Answer 34

One nation conservatives in Thatchers first cabinet scarcely concealed their opposition to her economic policy. None resigned and Thatcher only dismissed them when her position was secure

Some of May’s critics of Brexit policy, notably chancellor Phillip Hammond remained in office

Question 35

What are two examples of prime ministerial dominance?
x2

Answer 35

Michael Hesltine, Nigel Lawson and Geoffrey Howe all cited Thatcher’s contempt for collegiality when resigning.

Mo Mowlam and Claire short complained that Blair did not consult cabinet sufficiently

Question 36

Discuss Brexit as a case study for collective responsibility (ministerial resignations and breakdown of the principle)

Answer 36

Five cabinet and 11 junior ministers resigned from May’s government because they opposed her Brexit policy.
In addition, four cabinet ministers and two junior ministers announced their departure in the days before Johnson took office, stating they couldn’t support his policy.
While the succession of ministerial resignations over Brexit may suggest the principle of collective responsibility was working well, this was not the case. Collective responsibility broke down and May was unable to enforce policy. Ministers expressed policy concerns in public and confidential documents were leaked. In resignation letter, Leadsom cited the ‘complete breakdown of responsibility’ as four cabinet ministers and seven junior ministers defied the whip and abstained in votes in March 2019, but none resigned or were dismissed

Question 37

What is an example of a minister resigning because they misled parliament?

Answer 37

Home Secretary Amber Rudd resigned in 2018 when it was revealed that she had misled the Home Affairs Select Committee by stating that the Home Office did not have targets for deporting illegal immigrants.

Question 38

What is an example of an official resigning due to the failure of of day-to-day operational matters?

Answer 38

The head of UK Border Force, Brodie Clark, resigned in 2011 after civil servants relaxed border controls without ministerial agreement

Question 39

What is an example(s) of resignation of a minister due to mistakes made within departments?

Answer 39

In 2020, the head of Ofqual and the senior civil servant for the department of education resigned following the failure of the policy of using algorithms to determine a level and GCSE grades - although Williamson did not resign

Question 40

What is an example of a resignation due to policy failure under individual responsibility?

Answer 40

The resignation of foreign secretary Lord Carrington within days of the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands in April 1982 are often cited as resignations due to policy failure. However, Carrington later insisted that after coming under pressure from MPs and the media, he resigned to ensure national unity in the build up to war.

Question 41

What is an example of a resignation due to personal misconduct under individual responsibility?

Answer 41

Ministers who break the ministerial code are usually expected to resign (Liam Fox in 2011), asked to resign by the PM (Damian Green in 2017) or dismissed (Gavin Williamson in 2019)

Question 42

What is an example of a cabinet office investigation into a failure of individual responsibility?

Answer 42

There was a cabinet office investigation in 2020 into allegations of bullying by Priti Patel. She had not met the requirements of the ministerial code, but Johnson disagreed and Patel remained in office. The advisor who led the inquiry, Sir Alex Allan, resigned in protest at Johnson’s decision

Question 43

How has the number of civil servants varied?

Answer 43

Numbers fell from 732,000 in 1979 to 385,000 in 2016 before rising to 468,000 in 2021 as extra staff were recruited to help deal with Brexit and Covid

Question 44

Who was in David Cameron’s quad? What was their role?

Answer 44

David Cameron
Chancellor George Osbourne
Nick Clegg
Danny Alexander
All decisions would pass here before coming to the cabinet to ensure a unified response, but this downplayed the position of the full cabinet

Question 45

What highlights the strength of the coalition?

Answer 45

Only lost 6 votes in the chamber in 5 years

Question 46

What was Cameron’s biggest downfall?

Answer 46

Arguably, his biggest victory- winning the election outright- became his biggest downfall. Now unrestrained by coalitions, the Tory party saw infighting and defections

Question 47

How many votes did May lose between 2017 and 2019

Answer 47

33

Question 48

What was Blair’s majority in his first term?

Answer 48

179

Question 49

Who had no mandate?

Answer 49

May- led to the dropping of many controversial policies like reforms to social care and additional grammar schools
Liz Truss

Question 50

What example shows Theresa May’s weakness in power?

Answer 50

MPs rejected Theresa May’s Withdrawl Agreement in the first ‘meaningful vote’ by 432 votes to 232, a record government defeat. Further defeats followed and MPs took over the parlimentary timetable to pass two pieces of private member’s legislation, against the governmnet’s wishes.