PM and Cabinet Flashcards
(31 cards)
Nolan principles
Set of values that anyone in high office is expected to abide by.
IMR
Individual Ministerial Responsibility- ministers are responsible and accountable for their behaviour and department
CMR
Collective ministerial responsibility- all ministers in cabinet should agree on policies, otherwise they should resign
Examples of IMR
Sunak sacked Williamson and Raab over bullying claims, Chris Pincher Deputy Chief Whip suspended for groping allegations, Sunak Covid fine- didn’t resign, Starmer suspended Andrew Gwynne after offensive and abusive WhatsApp messages, Matt Hancock
Examples of CMR
Braverman openly criticised immigration policy, Annalise Dodds over cutting international aid budget, Robert Jenrick didn’t think Rwanda went far enough, Sajid Javid disagreed with Johnson’s appointing of Pincher
Cabinet government
A system of government in which PM is first among equals, can be brought down by cabinet.
Prime Ministerial Government
A system of government in which the prime minister is the dominant actor and is able to bypass the cabinet
Rubber stamp
description of cabinet approving decisions that were made elsewhere
Presidential Government
media focuses on the PM, significant increase in SPADs and civil servants. PM office coordinates executive rather than cabinet
Core executive model
large network of people within government that are all dependant on eachother
Why is the cabinet important?
Cabinet need to approve policies, some key decisions still made by cabinet, big beasts hard to silence, no PM can survive without cabinet support, patronage powers must be carefully handled, cabinet is involved with management of emergencies.
Why isn’t the cabinet important?
rubber stamp, PM manipulate through bi-lateral meetings, PM controls workings of cabinet and can use CMR, dominant PM usually deferred to by their cabinet, PMs have significant powers of patronage
Why do PMs have too much power?
Popular PMs don’t need a tactical cabinet, PMs control cabinet agenda, large majority means MPs less likely to rebel, PMs have lots of institutional resources
Why don’t PMs have too much power?
Minister misbehaviour make PMs patronage choices look bad, PMs can be brought down by their own cabinet , need party support, no coordination within institutionalised resources leads to chaos
Evidence for PMs having too much power?
Thatcher filled her cabinet with allies (got rid of the wets) 1982, Johnson filled cabinet with yes-men, Blair kept party message sharp, Blair used spin doctors like Allaister Campbell, Blair never lost vote 1997-2005, Starmer huge majority allowed him to control his cabinet, removed whip from ‘rebels’ over winter fuel and Gaza
Suella Braverman
resigned under Truss for sending official govt documents to her personal email 6 times but was reappointed as home secretary under Sunak
A level results scandal
2020 fee paying schools increased by 4.7 points but Education Secretary Gavin Williamson kept his position and blamed others
Chris Pincher
Johnson knew about his groping allegations and still appointed him.
Large contributor to his downfall
SPADS problems
gain attention of the media and become big stories
Dominic Cummings- Barnard Castle
Cameron’s spin doctor Andy Coulson went to prison over phone hacking scandal
Sunak control
lack of electoral mandate means he struggled to control cabinet- division over smoking ban
Johnson brought down by cabinet
July 2022 10 cabinet resignations, 62 resignations overall, caused Johnson to resign
Thatcher brought down by Cabinet
cabinet encouraged Thatcher to step down from leadership race after poll tax
Johnson VoNC
41% Conservative MPs voted against him June 2022
Starmer cabinet
happy to allow ministers to lead their own departments
Reeves
