PM + The Executive

Question 1

What is the executive

Answer 1

The government. Decision making body. Collective group consisting of the PM, cabinet & Jr mins

Question 2

Main roles of the executive

Answer 2

Decides how the country is run
Represents the UK abroad
Manages defence of the country
Responsible for public services
Since devolution some of these functions have been transferred
Proposing legislation, the budget + making policy are imp roles of the executive

Question 3

Proposing the budget

Answer 3

Created by the chancellor of the exchequer in consultation w/ PM
Gov plans for taxation + spending
If new gov comes into power after GE, intros a budget of its own. June 2010 George Osborne delivered a new emergency budget only 90 days after prev labour budget

Question 4

Royal prerogative powers

Answer 4

-Historically belonged to the crown
-Many not properly defined, set out in statute. Based on practice of previous govs
-transferred to the PM

Question 5

Main prerogative powers for PM

Answer 5

Grant legal pardons
Appoint ministers + other sr office holders
Award honours (handful personally given by monarch)
Declare war + authorise the use of the armed forces- requires parl approval
Sign treaties
Take action to maintain order in case of emergency
Grant + withdraw passports
2011 fixed term act- PM no longer decide date of the next GE. However, like TM June 2017, is poss for PM to override w/ sup of enough MPs

Question 6

Initiation of legislation

Answer 6

Exec control most of parl time available for leg
20 opp days, 13 days for priv memb bills
Variable amount of time all for debates chosen by Backbench business commission
Intro into either commons or lords… most imp go to commons first
If gov have majority rely on party whipping syst + power of patronage to push through programme… rebels can occur e.g AMM on energy bills
Exec has tools to strengthen its hold over the passage of legislation
The Guillotine allows the gov to curtail debate on the Indiv clauses of a bill… only in commons. Cam attempted to use in a Lords debate over redrawing constit boundaries… abandoned after opposition in 2011
The programming motion enables exec to set out in advance the time limits for each stage in the passage of a bill
Since 2002- gov can carry uncompleted leg from one session to another.

Question 7

Secondary/ delegated legislation

Answer 7

Law w/out passing a new act of parliament. Instead uses powers erected by an earlier act.
Most common = statutory instruments allows gov to modify or repeal existing legislation w/out introducing a new bill.
Critics raised concern over use of controversial decisions… 2016 used to abolish maintenance grants for uni students + allow fracking on Nat parks.
Gov accused of sneaking changes through the back door. Parl can still debate (+ in theory reject) statutory instils ab 2/3 become law on a specified date in the future w/out being put before MPs
Stat instrums sometimes called H8 clauses bc they enable gov to evade parl scrutiny

Question 8

Relationship between cap + min

Answer 8

The cab formally responsible for dec making
Usual for dec to be taken elsewhere for ex cab com (or the quad in 2010-2015 coalition)
Exec is now dom by PM - rise of presidential gov… DC created Nat sec cab com + chaired it
Leadership is becoming more personalised- TB created several cab coms but routinely bypassed cab structures… pref informal and bi-lateral meeting in no. 10

Question 9

Factors that affect the rel between PM + exec
Management

Answer 9

Management skills of PM- exploitation of the elastic nature of office to assert control over the cabinet. By reshaping can marginalise opponents… for example 1980s MT promoted sups such as Nigel Lawson + Norman Tebbit… own image of cab.
However, MT dom of cab + alienation of Sr colleagues undermined her pol.

Question 10

Factors that affect the rel between PM + exec
PMs ability to set agenda

Answer 10

Dec rarely taken to cab by vote
Views of sr figures more important for ex Brexit ref 2016, DC susp collective resp only 7/23 mins campaigning for leave… but high profile such as a leader of the house Michael Gove… became uncomfortable and stirred up trouble for PM to regain unity
PMs trad right to chair + sum up at end- imp tool of influence
Keep certain issues off the agenda of cabinet meetings… Harold Wilson devaluation of £ 1964-67

Question 11

Factors that affect the rel between PM + exec
Use of cab coms + informal groups to make decisions

Answer 11

Choose membs + chair = control
TM chaired 3 incl Brexit
Many dec in smaller infl groups- GB National Econ council… used to steer response to the econ crisis
Coalition more nec to have debs in cabs ‘the quad’ also influential DC + NC + George O + Danny Alexander… resolution of differences

Question 12

Factors that affect the rel between PM + exec
The development of the PM’s office and the cabinet office

Answer 12

PM access to most resources
HW created the pol unit in 1974 enabling PM to gain an overview of+ drive pol across all depts
Blair close co-op between PM + cab to support co-ord + implementation of pol
DC ‘hands off approach’- Indiv mins more autonomy
Press works closely with/ PM, more so under TB. Communication and strategy directorate created… the capacity to get govs message across = imp

Question 13

Factors that affect the rel between PM + exec
Impact of wider political + economic situation

Answer 13

PM w/ a large majority + united party (TB 1997), easier to gain ascendancy
PM w/ public on side, booming econ + master events e.g MT 1982 aft Falklands war = more powerful. GB never respected for not holding GE

Question 14

Extent of PMs power

Answer 14

Matter for debate. UK uncodified constitution, no definition of role. Cab office prepared a list of PMs functions in 1947 under CA

Question 15

Factors governing the PM’s selection of ministers

Answer 15

Power to appoint, reshuffle + dismiss mins belongs to PM
Coalition- 5/22 mins = LD, NC replaced
In single- party gov the PM does not have complete freedom of who to appoint

Question 16

Composition of exec relies on range of considerations

Answer 16

Ability + experience
Large no of MPs= backbenchers, some views too far outside of mainstream
Gen ability as administrator + communicator is more important than knowledge
In any party some sr figures who needs to be incl
PM come to office by winning leadership contest often incl their rivals for ex Penny Mourdants in Liz Truss + Rishi

Question 17

Composition of exec
To est a PMs authority

Answer 17

Not all make rad changes
JM didn’t remove key people when he took over from MT in 1990… did when he won GE 18 months later
TM want to distance herself from DC. Sacked George Osborne, 9 sr mins lost their job

Question 18

Composition of exec
To maintain a bal between different faction w/in the party

Answer 18

To maintain party unity- find posts for MPs w/ diff ideological view points from PM
After Brexit TM incl ‘leavers’ BoJo= for sec

Question 19

Composition of exec
Diversity

Answer 19

When formed first cab 1990 JM incl no women
2006 Marg Beckett made for sec by TB- first woman to hold 1/3 sr posts
Greater rep of ethnic min groups

Question 20

Concept of Collective Ministerial responsibility

Answer 20

Convention mins must supp all dec of gov in public
Responsible as a group to parl
Discussions in cabinet should be confidential
If defeated in a vote of no confidence- the gov as a whole resigns to maintain the unity of gov
If ministers can’t accept dec hey should resign

Question 21

Examples of ppl resigning because of collective min responsibility

Answer 21

2003 Robin Cook, leader of HoC, resigned because of disagreement over Iraq war
Iain Duncan Smith res 2016 (Work + pensions sec) bc would not accept cuts to disability benefits. Object also to GO budget to benefit high earners

Question 22

Exceptions of collective responsibility

Answer 22

Between Cons + LD to form coalition, LD not bound by collective responsibility ‘agree to differ’. LD allowed to abstain in votes on the construction of new nuclear power stations, tax allowances for married couples + higher ed funding and to propose an alternative to the renewal of the trident nuclear deterrent
AV ref… DC + NC= opposing views
Since 1945 coll responsibility susp on 2 occasions both on eu memb
1975 Harold Wilson… allowed to argue their case in public, would unite on peoples dec. Lab mins allowed to share platforms at pub meetings w/ membs of other parties who shared their views
Dec to remain… cold not speak out against memb at the dispatch box… industry min Eric Hefner sacked for breaking this rule.
2016 DC faced same issue… susp coll responsibility
Only 7/23 mins wanted to leave but incl names like Gove, BoJo also involved… more of an issue for DC could not unite party after. Bc DC was on remain side, once lost forced t res

Question 23

Concept of individual ministerial responsibility

Answer 23

Mins have a duty to hold parl to account and to be held accountable for the policies, decisions and actions of their departments and agencies - ministerial code
Obliged to give accurate information to parl, knowingly mislead = expectation to resign
Responsible for deciding how to conduct themselves.
Only remain in office as long as they retain the confidence of the PM
Gov is so large + complex, min cannot be expected to know everything w/in dept- does not need to resign over a tiny mistake

Question 24

Fate of an Indiv minister depends on:

Answer 24

How serious the issue is perceived as
Level of criticism in parliament + media
Attitude of PM

Question 25

Example of attitude of PM

Answer 25

Charles Clarke- home secretary in TB’s government illustrates how effective Indiv min respons is.
Challenged by opp MPs, 2006, over inability of the home office to account for movements of over 1000 foreign prisoners. Been freed w/out thought of deportation. Admitted his dept had taken its ‘eye off the ball’. Didn’t have duty to resign but sort out… privately offered to resign- Blair backed. 10 days later, no movement Blair sacked Clarke

Question 26

Gov functions delegated to executive agencies

Answer 26

Led to some doubt over who is accountable.. 1995 home sec Michael Howard sacked Derek Lewis, the director general of the prisons service, following criticisms of the escape of prisoners from Parkhurst Jail
Civil servants have oft been held accountable for dept issues… 2012 transp sec Patrick McLoughin mistakes have been made in awarding franchise to companies to run trains on West Coast Main line… 3 civ servants susp as a result.

Question 27

Personal misconduct

Answer 27

Most common cause of resignation. If they fall short of expected standards of integrity
Peter Madelson obliged to retire twice
1998 left pos as trade + industry sec after rev he was buying a house w/ a loan from cab min
Brought back in 2001 as NI sec, forced out as used infl to fast track a passport of an Indian businessman
2012 Andrew Mitchell (chief whip) res for insulting policeman on duty in Downing Street
2012 Chris Hunne (energy + climate sec) res for perverting the course of justice over an earlier speeding prosecution

Question 28

How did John Major win credit?

Answer 28

By replacing poll tax with council tax. Helped to distance his gov from Maggie

Question 29

How did Major handle the Gulf War in 1991?

Answer 29

Effectively. Worked w/ US allies, united Br pub op
War sought to expel Saddam Hussein from Kuwait

Question 30

What was Major’s cabinet management system?

Answer 30

More collegial style- allowed more discussion.

Question 31

What else was attractive about Major?

Answer 31

Lack of ideological commitments

Question 32

How did Major progress towards a peace deal with NI?

Answer 32

Est trust w/ unionists and nationalists through the Dec 1993 Downing Street decl. Ruled out the imposition of a united Ireland

Question 33

What happened on Black Wednesday in Sept 1991?

Answer 33

Market pressure forced the pound out of the ERM (exchange rate mechanism), raised interest rates from 10-12%, 12-15%

Question 34

How was Majors control undermined?

Answer 34

In his 2nd term
EU- threatened Nat Sov, hostile to Maastricht treaty despite opt-out of not joining the euro, not pacified by concessions
Only secured the treaty’s passage through the commons by one vote.
No unity, weak leadership

Question 35

Why did Major have to devote a lot of time to the day-to-day management of Parliament?

Answer 35

Disappearing majority and a divided party. Limited chances of leaving a distinct legacy in terms of policy.

Question 36

What scandals did the Tories face?

Answer 36

Series of financial and sexual scandals, constantly papering over the cracks. Dubbed by the press as ‘sleaze’

Question 37

How did Major attempt to make public services more accountable?

Answer 37

‘The Citizens Charter’- lay down expectations for the performance of schools, hospitals and other bodies.
Failed to capture the imagination of the public

Question 38

What did Blair place a strong emphasis on and how did he achieve this?

Answer 38

Strengthening the UK gov + tackle issues in a more ‘joined up’ manner.
Indiv cabinet ministers would have less autonomy, more central agenda.
Cab office + Downing Street policy unit worked more closely together
2001 a newly created PM unit sought to drive reform in the public sector

Question 39

How did Blair modernise the political system?

Answer 39

Constit refs that didn’t jeopardise the authority of central gov. HoL ref, devolution

Question 40

What was Blair’s most outstanding success?

Answer 40

Revival of peace in NI, creation of power sharing instils following 1998 Good Friday agreement
Skills as negotiator

Question 41

What was Blair’s public service reform

Answer 41

Self-governing city academies, took money from central government rather than local auth. Began to repl failing state schools.
Foundation hospital managers given power + funding
University students should contribute to their education
Minimum wage est
Sure start schemes

Question 42

Blair + Brown factions

Answer 42

Brown lim Blair’s power, Br gave Blair leader to be chancellor, brown believed bl would step down + let him be PM.
Didn’t happen, rel went bad. Blair had to concede control over a no of pol areas… bringing Britain into European single currency

Question 43

What diverted Blair’s attention in his second term?

Answer 43

Nat sec + for pol. After 9/11 showed his ability of a powerful PM to shape overseas pol.
Committed UK to support Bush’s war on terror. British troops engaged in lengthy war in Afghanistan + Iraq
Iraq war damaged Blair’s reputation- went to war w/ unsubstantiated evidence that Iraqs gov had weapons of mass destruction
Trust between Blair + pub eroded