Chapter 3: PM And Executive Flashcards
(20 cards)
How many cabinet members + who?
20 - 25 senior ministers appointed by the PM
Currently:
What are think tanks? (+ example)
Organisations outside government that carry out research and recommend policy options; staffed by experts, academics and former politicians
E.g. Adam Smith Institute - neo liberal
Open Europe Today - non partisan and independent tank considering EUs relations with UK
Institute of Economic Affairs - support free markets and neo liberal conservative ideas
Most important government department?
Treasury - as it controls government finance, led by Chancellor of the Exchequer
Features of being PM (5)
- leader of governing party and command majority in the HOC
- enjoys prerogative powers - e.g authorise use of armed forces, sign treaties, award honours
- as party leader in HOC commands degree of parliamentary business
- claim some authority from the people as a result of winning the election (mandate)
- PM is chair of the Cabinet; tends to dominate proceedings
What is the Royal Prerogative?
Constitutional principle that allows PM to adopt the arbitrary powers which remain the monarch’s: including powers such as patronage, negotiating foreign treaties
Who assists and supports the PM? (4)
- Cabinet Secretary, currently Mark Sedwill (appointed by May in Oct 2018) : head of the civil service and personal advisor to the PM > assisting them to manage policy formulation
- PM’s private office staffed by senior civil servants > helps the PM to handle gov business
- Chief of staff - closest aid (Dominic Cummings)
- Number 10 Policy Unit: advisors
What are the main features of cabinet? (8)
1) PM chairs all of its meetings
2) Appoints all its members
3) Members are senior gov ministers and a few key officials
4) Cabinet meet once a week
5) Procedings are secret
6) Cabinet secretary handles administration of the cabinet, attends all meetings and advises PM on cabinet business
7) 20 - 25 members
8) Few senior part figures may not be cabinet but still attend meetings: e.g whip
What are cabinet committees?
Small groups of ministers chaired by PM of another senior cabinet member
What is COBRA?
Subcommittee of cabinet: meets occasionally when there is a major crisis
What is a minister?
An MP or peer promoted by PM either to run a govt department or carry out a specific role: most run one of the departments of state
Examples Priti Patel - Home Secretary Dominic Raab - Foreign Secretary Ben Wallace - Defence Secretary Liz Truss - International Trade Secretary, Women and equalities
Roles of ministers (4)
1) Develop policies in their area of responsibility
2) Develop a budget detailing how funds are allocated within department
3) Prepare case for implementation of policy to cabinet as a whole
5) Draft legislation when needed
6) Organise passage of legislation through Parliament + to speak in debates on legislation
7) Appear regularly in Parliament and before select committee to answer questions
What is secondary legislation?
Orders made by ministers which require relatively little parliamentary control
What role does the UK executive have?
Main 3 + additional
1) making policy decisions : e.g introduction of universal credit in 2010 - at
2) proposing the budget
3) proposing legislation
- development of government policy
- conducting foreign policy including relations with other state what international bodies
- organising the country’s defence against external and internal threats
- managing state’s finances
- responding to major problems or crisis: e.g armed conflict, security threats
- controlling + managing forces of law and order inc. policies, courts etc
What departments are involved in proposing budgets/ legislation and their role
Treasury - prepares annual budget showing how public funds will be allocated to various depts and negotiate this with individual dept ministers, how to raise revenue (links to role of proposing budget), total expenditure
Cabinet - approve final allocation of funds
Chancellor of the exchequer and PM: types and levels of taxation
HOC - approves gov annual budget plans, will never reject whole of govs budget as this would bring them to halt; however may amend details of taxation and spending
What is the process of introducing legislation?
- Consultation papers drawn up by specialised civil servants in advance so MPs and Peers can suggest changes
- Governing party’s business managers arrange for parliamentary time
- Business managers and cabinet arrange for speakers to explain and support legislation
- Party whips check there is sufficient support for legislation among gov party MPs
How has principle of individual ministerial responsibility diminished in recent years? (Inc. AOl)
- Ministers no longer prepared to accept responsibility for errors or poor performance by their depts > unless major error can be directly attributed to minister and is very serious
- ministers are prepared to lay blame on low ranking officials and civil servants (in the past protected by this doctrine)
Now up to PM to decided if minister should be removed
Example
Charles Clarke, HS in Blair’s gov was challenged by opposition MPs over Home Office inability to account for movements of over 1000 freed foreign prisoners; told BBC he didn’t have a duty to the public to go despite admitting dept had taken eye off ball
Initially backed by PM but then sacked him 10 days later
Why is collective ministerial responsibility still important?
- Gives gov strong sense of unity
- can help PM maintain their dominant position
- stifles dissidence within gov
- helps ministers express reservations privately
- protects individual ministers from pressure
What is collective ministerial responsibility?
Convention ministers must support all decisions of gov in public > responsible as group to Parliament, support these decisions or leave: designed to maintain unity of gov in face of attacks by opposition
If minister doesn’t accept decision in theory should resign - AO1 example; 2003 Robin Cook leader of HOC resigned over Blair’s gov decision to go to war with Iraq»_space;» quite rare as ends career.
More common for unhappy ministers to leak dissatisfaction to media
2 Lib Dem junior ministers resigned in 2010 rather than support the government policy increasing university tuition fees
May told ministers they must adhere to collective responsibility principal and accept Brexit agreement; David Davis (HS) and Boris Johnson (FS) resigned as a result
Exceptions to collective responsibility
- 2010 Lib Dem Conservative compromise: 4 issues agreed Lib Dems would not be bound by collective responsibility - areas most likely to come into conflict : allowed to abstain in votes on new nuclear power stations, higher education funding e.g
Both referendum campaigns on EU; 1975 Harold Wilson did to prevent resignations by anti Europeans
2016 spring DC agreed to suspend: 5 anti EU cabinet ministers joined Johnson in attacking terms of DC continued membership
What is individual ministerial responsibility?
Principle by which ministers are responsible for own personal conduct and their departments; have a duty to Parliament to account and to be held to account for actions of agencies
Obliged to give accurate info to Parliament and if knowingly mislead then expected to resign (however not expected to resign over minor mistakes)
E.g 2010 David Laws (Chief Secretary Tom Treasury) resigned after claiming parliamentary expenses to pay rent to his partner
