Prime Minister and Executive - evidence

Question 1

Why did Chris Pincher resign in July 2022?

Answer 1

Due to allegations of drunkenly groping two men; his resignation contributed to the fall of Boris Johnson

Question 2

Why did Suella Braverman resign in October 2022?

Answer 2

For sharing secure information via a private email.

Question 3

Why did Gavin Williamson resign in November 2022?

Answer 3

Over allegations of bullying during his time as Chief Whip and Minister.

Question 4

Why did Amber Rudd resign in 2018?

Answer 4

For misleading the Home Affairs Committee over deportation targets.

Question 5

Why did Liam Fox resign as Defence Secretary?

Answer 5

For bringing an unofficial friend on 18 foreign trips.

Question 6

Why did Louise Haigh resign in 2024?

Answer 6

Due to a past criminal conviction; a first for a Labour cabinet member.

Question 7

Why did Tulip Siddiq resign in January 2025?

Answer 7

Due to an anti-corruption investigation in Bangladesh, despite lack of evidence.

Question 8

Why did Andrew Gwynne resign in 2025?

Answer 8

Due to leaked WhatsApp messages and bullying accusations.

Question 9

What happened during the 2022 Partygate scandal?

Answer 9

10 ministers, including Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid, resigned, pressuring Boris Johnson to resign.

Question 10

Why did David Davis resign in 2018?

Answer 10

He opposed Theresa May’s Brexit plan as too close to the EU.

Question 11

Why did Robin Cook resign in 2003?

Answer 11

He opposed Tony Blair’s plan to go to war with Iraq.

Question 12

How was CMR defied during Brexit?

Answer 12

13 ministers disobeyed the whip during a no-deal Brexit motion.

Question 13

Why did Anneliese Dodds resign in 2025?

Answer 13

Over Starmer’s cut to foreign aid from 0.5% to 0.3%.

Question 14

How did Theresa May show the insignificance of CMR?

Answer 14

She couldn’t sack Boris Johnson despite leaks and criticism, due to his popularity.

Question 15

What is the PM’s power of patronage?

Answer 15

The PM can appoint allies, e.g. Boris Johnson appointed Dominic Cummings in 2019; Blair appointed Brown due to policy alignment.

Question 16

How can the PM use cabinet reshuffles as power?

Answer 16

E.g., Sunak reshuffled the cabinet in Nov 2023, sacking Suella Braverman and appointing James Cleverly and David Cameron.

Question 17

What is “sofa government”?

Answer 17

Informal decision-making outside full cabinet, used by Tony Blair.

Question 18

Can the PM ignore cabinet? Give an example.

Answer 18

Yes—Blair & Brown gave the Bank of England control of interest rates without consulting cabinet.

Question 19

Give an example of a PM avoiding cabinet discussion

Answer 19

Harold Macmillan omitted calls to resign from the cabinet agenda.

Question 20

Example of PM dominating cabinet less?

Answer 20

May 2024 – PM’s plan to restrict graduate visas reversed after cabinet opposition.

Question 21

How did cabinet push back against Sunak’s student visa plan?

Answer 21

Cabinet ministers opposed it, fearing economic damage; the PM backed down.

Question 22

What happened with Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng in Sept 2022?

Answer 22

Truss’s mini-budget led to market turmoil, showing economic forces can override PM power.

Question 23

Who is Lord Dannatt and how has he influenced UK policy?

Answer 23

A crossbencher and former Chief of General Staff; advocated UK troops return to Iraq to fight ISIS (2015–16).

Question 24

What was the Chris Pincher scandal and how did it affect Boris Johnson’s leadership?

Answer 24

Johnson appointed Chris Pincher as Deputy Chief Whip despite knowing about allegations of sexual assault. This damaged his integrity and led to mass resignations, with colleagues feeling misled.

Question 25

What was 'Partygate' and why did it undermine Boris Johnson’s leadership?

Answer 25

In 2021, Johnson was accused of breaking lockdown rules by attending gatherings at Downing Street. This eroded public trust and raised serious questions about accountability.

Question 26

What was the outcome of the June 2022 confidence vote for Boris Johnson?

Answer 26

Johnson survived the vote with 211 MPs supporting him and 148 opposing, but the close margin weakened his authority, leading to continued pressure to resign.

Question 27

When did Boris Johnson resign, and what led to it?

Answer 27

He resigned on 7 July 2022 after intense cabinet and backbencher pressure, exacerbated by scandals and mass ministerial resignations.

Question 28

What role did the Carrie Symonds controversy play in Johnson’s downfall?

Answer 28

In 2018, Johnson allegedly tried to appoint Carrie Symonds as Chief of Staff while she was his mistress, raising concerns about ministerial propriety and misuse of office.

Question 29

What caused the collapse of Liz Truss’s economic credibility?

Answer 29

In September 2022, she and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced £45 billion in unfunded tax cuts, triggering market panic, a falling pound, and rising interest rates.

Question 30

What role did the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) play in Truss's loss of authority?

Answer 30

The OBR was bypassed, which made markets doubt the credibility of the mini-budget, highlighting her rejection of mainstream economic advice.

Question 31

How did Truss's U-turns contribute to her resignation?

Answer 31

She was forced to reverse tax policies, fire her Chancellor, and appoint Jeremy Hunt, signalling loss of control and party confidence.

Question 32

Why was Liz Truss nicknamed “The Lettuce PM”?

Answer 32

She resigned after just 44 days in office, prompting a viral comparison to a lettuce lasting longer than her premiership, symbolising her extremely short tenure.

Question 33

What does Truss’s downfall reveal about prime ministerial power and cabinet unity?

Answer 33

It reflects the elastic theory of cabinet power, showing that without cabinet support, a PM’s authority is fragile and reversible.

Question 34

Why did Matt Hancock resign in June 2021?

Answer 34

He breached COVID rules he helped set by having an affair, undermining public health messaging and failing IMR standards.

Question 35

Why did Suella Braverman resign in October 2022?

Answer 35

She breached security protocols by sending official documents via personal email. She accepted her error and resigned under IMR.

Question 36

What led to Dominic Raab’s resignation in April 2023?

Answer 36

An independent inquiry upheld bullying complaints, prompting Raab to take responsibility and resign in line with IMR.

Question 37

Why did Tulip Siddiq resign in January 2025?

Answer 37

Amid scrutiny over a family corruption case in Bangladesh, she resigned to protect government reputation, even though she was cleared of wrongdoing.

Question 38

Why was Priti Patel’s 2022 resignation controversial in relation to IMR?

Answer 38

She had previously faced bullying allegations and breached the ministerial code but remained in office, undermining the integrity of IMR norms.

Question 39

Why did Anneliese Dodds resign in 2025?

Answer 39

She opposed Starmer’s cut to international aid (from 0.5% to 0.3%) to increase defence spending and resigned as International Development Minister, citing principled disagreement.

Question 40

What prompted Lee Anderson’s resignation in January 2024?

Answer 40

He resigned as Conservative Deputy Chairman to support an amendment to the Rwanda Bill, defying government policy and breaching CMR.

Question 41

Why did Robert Jenrick resign in December 2023?

Answer 41

He disagreed with the government’s handling of the Rwanda immigration policy and resigned as Immigration Minister, reflecting a CMR breach

Question 42

What did Brendan Clarke-Smith resign over?

Answer 42

Also resigned as Deputy Chairman in Jan 2024 over Rwanda policy disagreements, backing amendments to reduce legal hurdles for deportation.

Question 43

Why did Lord David Frost resign in December 2021?

Answer 43

Citing disagreements with government direction, especially on COVID-19 restrictions, he resigned based on principled policy divergence, consistent with CMR standards.