3 - The Prime Minister and Cabinet

Question 1

What must all members of the government must display

Answer 1

loyalty to the PM and defence of all policy

Question 2

What are the main functions of the pm

Answer 2

Leading the government

Selecting the cabinet and junior ministers

Being the dominant figure in the core executive

Party leader

Main “Defender and explainer” of policy

charing cabinet meetings

Question 3

Example of the pm representing the country abroad

Answer 3

The 2021 Glasgow COP26 Conference on climate change

Question 4

What are the Prime ministers main powers

Answer 4

Prerogative powers
shaping and deciding policy
commander in chief of armed forces
Arangeing the structure cabinet committees

Question 5

What are the PM’s resources

Answer 5

High media profile
Their party majority’s (Often)
THe civil service

Question 6

Example of a PM without a mandate

Answer 6

In 2007 Gordon Brown was said to be weaker due to not having a mandate to rule

Question 7

How big is the cabinet and who’s in it

Answer 7

Team of just over 20, includes ministers and the chief whip and more senior members

Question 8

Who are part of cabinet committees

Answer 8

Most members are mp’s, can normally a couple of peers including the HOL leader

Question 9

Why do prime ministers do a cabinet reshuffle

Answer 9

To bring in new talent or freshen up the team, to sack underperforming ministers or gaps from resignations

Question 10

What is collective cabinet responsibility

Answer 10

The principle that the cabinet ministers always backs it’s decisions in public

Question 11

Example of a formal vote in cabinet

Answer 11

In may 2018 the brexit “War cabinet” subcommittee rejected the prime ministers plan for a customs partnership with the eu 6-5

Question 12

Example of an inner cabinet and explanation

Answer 12

When a small group on senior cabinet members

Blairs sofa government

Question 13

What is a cabinet committee

Answer 13

Groups of ministers that take collective decision many of them routine

Question 14

What happened to committees in 2017

Answer 14

A reduce to leave only 5 with the pm chairing 4 of them

Question 15

Are decisions made by cabinet committees as binding as a cabinet meeting

Answer 15

YES

Question 16

3 Examples of cabinet committees

Answer 16

national security council

European union exit and trade committee

Covid-19 strategy committee

Question 17

Function of the european union exit and trade committee

Answer 17

Oversees the uk’s exit negotiations with the eu

Question 18

Function of the national security council committee

Answer 18

the main forum for discussion and consideration of government objectives for national security

Question 19

Example of a PM’s policy agenda

Answer 19

Johnsons “get brexit done”

Question 20

Significance of the pm policy agenda

Answer 20

PM’s seek to prioritise their key polices so to leave their mark and leave a tangible legacy

Question 21

Examples of how the cabinet plays in policy making

Answer 21

Will discuss and debate policy

Where here are disagreements, such as spending priorities they are sorted in cabinet

Question 22

Significance of the cabinet in policy making

Answer 22

Often considerable, especially if the party is divided eg, much of the finer details for the brexit negotiations from 2017 onwards was in the cabinet

Question 23

Examples of how senior civil servants have a hand in policy making

Answer 23

Can offer advice and guidance to government ministers, crucial in the delivery of the policy eg the 2012 London olympics

Influence ministers by “Speaking truth into power”,

Question 24

Significance of senior civil servants in policy making

Answer 24

AS permanent and non-party political views, they have an unbiased view

Provides long experience of government and how to handle issues

Question 25

Examples of special advisors roles in policy making

Answer 25

Party-political figures hand picked by the pm temporary civil servants, so not required to be unbiased Normally replaced by an incoming PM

Question 26

Significance of special advisors role in policy making

Answer 26

Have assumed increasing prominence and notoriety in recent years eg, Dominic Cummings Frequently seen to have the ear of the prime minister and have a big part in policy eg, most of Johnsons hard-line approach to brexit was due to the influence of cummings

Question 27

What the easiest method to get policy decided upon

Answer 27

The manifesto pledges - Get Brexit done 2019

Question 28

Why is it bad if PM's are isolated

Answer 28

Policy's are hard to pass with Backbench rebellions and arguments in cabinet

Question 29

Example of a policy that would be made from unforeseen circumstances

Answer 29

Policy's after the 7/7 london bombings and covid-19

Question 30

In theory how should the pm and cabinets relationship be

Answer 30

Harmonious and fruitful with the cabinet being selected by the pm and them mostly being from the same party

Question 31

Examples of cabinet factions

Answer 31

Mays - Remainers vs brexiteers

Question 32

What do most cabinets have and an example

Answer 32

Big Beast politicians eg, Johnson in Mays government until his resignation over her brexit deal in july 2018

Question 33

Key ideas for individual ministerial responsibility

Answer 33

Ministers are responsible for their actions Answers questions from the commons and public In theory mistakes and policy failure should lead to a resignation Ministers who break the ministerial code should resign

Question 34

Example of a minister blaming someone else for their policy failure

Answer 34

In 2020 the chief civil servant for the department of education Johnathan slater, was sacked over the a levels and gcse controversy while gavin Williamson stayed until a reshuffle

Question 35

Key principles of the ministerial code

Answer 35

Avoiding conflicts of interest between public and private life Not accepting gifts/bribes Upholding civil servants impartiality Abiding by collective cabinet responsibility

Question 36

Example of the pm breaking the ministerial code

Answer 36

Jonson in 2021 accepted a donation of 60k to refurbish his downing street house

Question 37

Key ideas of collective cabinet responsibility

Answer 37

The convention that all ministers should publicly support policies and promote them A minister who cannot agree to a policy should resign Helps them look united in the media

Question 38

When is collective cabinet responsibility suspended

Answer 38

When clear divisions happen and major votes, eg david Cameron before the Brexit vote

Question 39

Example of ministers not resigning after breaking collective ministerial responsibility

Answer 39

Ken clarke and Theresa May had conflicting statements about the future of the human rights act in 2010-11

Question 40

Example of a minister resigning due to individual responsibility

Answer 40

An inquiry found serious flaws in procedures and practises from civil servants regarding a selling of land for an airfield Sir Thomas dugdale resigned as minister of agriculture in 1954 due to it, while not even having a decision on the final agreement. He resigned due to taking responsibility for his ministers

Question 41

Example of a minister resigning due to collective responsibility

Answer 41

Iain Duncan Smith's resigned as work and pensions secretary in 2016 This was due to planned disability costs which he couldn't support

Question 42

Examples of resignations over policy difference

Answer 42

Rubin Cook 2003 over iraq war Caroline Ansell in 2020 over funding of free school meals over half terms ( A conservative that wanted it to happen)

Question 43

Reasons for ministers to lose office

Answer 43

Cabinet reshuffle Seen as underperforming Ill health Personal scandal

Question 44

Example of a minister losing office

Answer 44

2021 Matt Hancock broke social distancing rules while going to town in a secret affair

Question 45

Background and motives of the poll tax 1990

Answer 45

It was a longstanding conservative policy to reform local government taxation and create a domestic tax in the 1987 manifesto Many conservatives wanted to rein in high-spending labour councils Made by a desire to spread the costs of local governments The tax was a flat rate so everyone payed the same Was supported by thatcher

Question 46

Outcome of the poll tax 1990

Answer 46

The left got angry and many refused to pay the tax Mass protests Many of her mp's didn't like it Was speedily removed after her resignation in 1993

Question 47

background and motivations for the dealing with Covid-19

Answer 47

The pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to johnsons 2020 government Government policy was mostly determined by pragmatism and events A lot of criticism about track and trace and PPE to frontline health workers The government had to borrow lots to fund the costs of the furlough scheme Johnson could only create domestic laws eg Could only force a lockdown in england The opposition couldn't go against all the policy's as it was making people safe

Question 48

Outcome of the dealings of covid-19

Answer 48

Government handling of the pandemic was volatile with early stages such as track and trace made by private company's being considered shambolic, whereas in the later stages the vaccine roll out proved much more successful The financial costs will affect fiscal policy for months The pm was found to attend party's a No10 which he refused, then got found out, then didn't resign, then months later did after graysons

Question 48

Outcome of the dealings of covid-19

Answer 48

Government handling of the pandemic was volatile with early stages such as track and trace made by private company's being considered shambolic, whereas in the later stages the vaccine roll out proved much more successful The financial costs will affect fiscal policy for months The pm was found to attend party's a No10 which he refused, then got found out, then didn't resign, then months later did after graysons

Question 49

Similarities of the dealing of covid and the poll tax

Answer 49

Both very damaging to the pm's Strong personal commitments by the pm to promote the policy's Aroused criticism in their party

Question 50

Differences of the dealing of covid and poll tax

Answer 50

During covid johnson managed to peel back support for the vaccine roll-out One was a manifesto pledge while covid was dealt pragmatically The global pandemic was more damaging Johnson didn't get much criticism from his backbenchers

Question 51

In theory how should relations between the government and parliament be

Answer 51

The government should be checked and answerable to parliament. Government should easily get policy through due to a majority and whips

Question 52

In reality was is the best government scrutiny and an example

Answer 52

Select committees or bodies such as the National audit office NAO , eg The NAO produced a report in 2021 on the crossrail project that identified a shortfall in funding from 30m to 218m.