Prime Minister & Cabinet Flashcards
(45 cards)
How many members does cabinet have
20-25
What must members of the cabinet be?
MPs or Peers
Who chairs cabinet meetings with the PM?
Cabinet Secretary, a non-elected neutral official
How many years do cabinet minutes stay secret for?
30
What is the role of cabinet? [5]
Formalises and legitimises government policy
Settles disputes between government departments and ministers
May meet to deal with a crisis or emergency
Where presentation of policy is determined
Business of parliament is arranged
What is the role of ministers in the legislation process
Preside over the drafting of legislation and are responsible for managing proposed legislation through parliament
What two roles do cabinet ministers have?
Manage their department and are part of the senior collective decision making body
Ministers not in cabinet are known as what
Junior ministers
What is the Prime Minister
Most senior minister in the government
What are the PMs powers called that are transferred from the monarch?
Prerogative powers
What is the PM known as
Primes inter pares - first among equals
What is collective responsibility? [5]
Cabinet is collectively responsible for all government policy
All ministers must be prepared to defend government policy
Ministers must support government policy is public even if not in private
Any minister who fails to support government policy must face dismissal
Ministers must resign if they intend to oppose government policy publicly
Why is collective responsibility important? [3]
Maintains government unity
Helps the Prime minister maintain loyalty
Prevents the opposition from splitting cabinet
Example of a minister who resigned due to collective cabinet responsibility
Robin Cook (foreign secretary) in 2003 over the Iraq War
What is individual ministerial responsibility? [4]
Ministers are responsible for all decisions made by their department
They are responsible whether or not they were involved in the decision-making process
If the error is serious enough, they will be expected to resign
They are also expected to resign over serious issues of personal misconduct
Example of a minister resigning due to individual ministerial responsibility
David Blunkett (Home Secretary) 2004 Department played a role interfering with a visa for his friends nanny
Example of a minister resigning over personal misconduct
David Laws (chief secretary to the Treasury) in 2010 due to alleged financial irregularities
Impact of coalition on government and cabinet [7]
Cabinet seats divided between parties
Policy had to be negotiated with coalition partner
Collective responsibility came under stress
In some areas, they had to ‘agree to differ’
If the PM wanted to appoint a lib dem to cabinet, he had to OK it with the leader of the lib Dems
Clegg made deputy prime minister
PMs power reduced as he had a divided government
Sources of Prime Ministerial power [5]
Prerogative powers Head of the governing party Parliament Cabinet Tradition
What are formal and informal powers of the PM?
Formal - every PM enjoys them whatever the circumstance
Informal - dependent on the political circumstances
Formal powers of the PM [6]
Negotiate foreign treaties Commander in chief of the armed forces Grant peerages Determine structure of government Head of the civil service Appoint and dismiss ministers
Informal powers of the PM [4]
Chief policy maker for the government
Represent the nation to foreign powers
Control cabinet business
Make key short term decisions in emergency
Example of a PM losing support of their party
Blair lost support over the Iraq war and was forced to stand down as a result in 2007
Example of a PMs strength limited by parliamentary majority
Major lost his majority after 1992 which limited his authority
