the prime minister and cabinet Flashcards
(63 cards)
1
Q
who was the first PM?
A
- robert walpole
2
Q
what does herbert asquith say about the role of the PM?
A
‘constitutional practices…not always uniform…convention’
3
Q
conventions that establish the role of the PM
A
- herbert asquith ‘not always uniform’
- 1992 codified guide, ministerial code - established duties and expectations of PM and gov ministers
4
Q
core executive
A
- pm and cabinet
5
Q
primus inter pares
A
- first amongst equals (PM)
6
Q
uk fusion of powers
A
legislative + executive
judiciary now independent
7
Q
royal prerogative powers
A
- once held by monarch, now by PM, passed down over time
- appoint and dismiss ministers
- deployment of armed forces overseas
- making and ratifying treaties
- organisation and structure of civil service
- issuing directives and statements during national crisies and emergencies
8
Q
four key roles of the core executive
A
- making policy
- passing legislation
- financing
- being the national first responder
9
Q
making policy role
A
- split between cabinet meetings and committees deciding upon policy
- removal of winter fuel payments
10
Q
passing legislation role
A
- laws of major statutes are first discussed and approved at cabinet and then sent to parliament for a vote
- house of lords reforms acts
11
Q
financing role
A
- making decisions on taxation and government spending
- e.g. the annual budget
12
Q
being the first responder role
A
- in times of national emergency (e.g. war, terrorism, pandemics)
- executive required to put together emergency measures to deal with the issues quickly and efficiently
13
Q
role of PM in policy making
A
- partial control over events and decisions about polices
- sometimes little to no control
- slogans based on personal convictions (big society)
14
Q
significance of PMs role in policy making
A
- need to make a tangible legacy
- but size of party makes a significant contribution too
- sets the agenda
15
Q
examples of PM’s role in policy making
A
- 1990 poll tax
- 2003 iraq invasion
- may decision to call an early election 2017
- ‘big society’ cameron
16
Q
cabinet’s role in policy making
A
- collective decision making body
- ‘rubber stamp’ (sealing the deal/approving policy)
- disagreements usually resolved and unseen
17
Q
significance of cabinet’s role in policy making
A
- controversial policy leads to divisions, but usually unseen to present collective ministerial responsibility
- agree agenda
18
Q
examples of cabinets role in policy making
A
- brexit withdrawal agreement
- aim to create strength through unity not weakness and division
19
Q
senior civil servants role in policy making
A
- guidance to gov ministers and how policies can be delivered
- influence gov ministers by ‘speaking the truth unto power’
20
Q
significance of senior civil servants role in policy making
A
- permanent and politically neutral
- unbiased and objective
- advice on implementation
- implement agenda
21
Q
role of spads in policy making
A
- help making slogans for policy
- special advisors to individual PM
- ‘temporary civil servants’
22
Q
significance of spads in policy making
A
- assumed prominence and notoriety
- ‘ear of the PM’
- dominic cummings for boris johnson
- advise PM on agenda
23
Q
examples of spads role in policy making
A
- ‘big society’ david cameron
- ‘let’s get brexit done’ johnson
- have to resign with PM, e.g. cummings
24
Q
what was teh ‘big society’
A
- a movement away from the welfare state, community involvement
- slogan adopted by cameron
25
7 factors that affect policy making
- acronym: PPPPEES
- manifesto pledges and promises (political)
- personal convictions of PM/party leader (personal)
- outcomes of referendums (popular)
- results of deals with minority/coalition parties (political)
- responses to national crisis/emergencies (external)
- mounting pressure from public and media (external)
- changing social and cultural attitudes (social)
26
policy explanation and motivation: extending free childcare 2017
- eligible if earning under £100k
- working parents with children (3 and 4) 30 hours of free childcare instead of 15 (a week)
- initially increased to increase employment
manifesto pledges (political)
27
policy explanation and motivation: privatisation and the sale of council houses 1979 to 1990
- council house tenants given ‘right to buy’
- 5.4m households by 1981, dropped to 4.5m by 1991
manifesto pledges (political)
28
policy explanation and motivation: brexit referendum 2016
- 52% leave 48% remain
- may remain but democratically had to carry it out
outcomes of referendums (popular)
29
policy explanation and motivation: AV referendum 2011
- aiming to provide common plan for policy following economic crisis of 2008 to 2009
- lib dem wanted greater third party representation through AV
- low turnout 41%, defeated 68% to 32%
response to national crisis (external)
30
poll tax 1990 details
- flat rate tax paid by everyone in household over 18
- replaced ‘rates’ tax
- initially supposed to be a low flat rate, however raised it to double
31
what were reactions to the poll tax?
- trafalgar rioting and tax evasion
- vote of no confidence against thatcher
- ‘regressive tax’
- forced nigel lawson to resign (chancellor)
32
what was margaret’s reaction to the backlash of the poll tax?
- blamed it on the ‘underclass’ (single parents, those who relied upon the state)
- ‘authoritarian response’ ‘far-left going against the state’
33
34
details of invasion of iraq 2003
- blair justified invasion on removing iraq’s weapons of mass destruction
- eu and nato opposed
- no weapons of mass destruction found, 180 british soldiers dead
- involvement mostly based on blair wanting to improve relationship with bush
- little informing by blair pre invasion
35
reactions to the invasion of iraq
- large anti-war protesting in the uk
- opinion polls showed large slump in trust in blair
- resignation from robin cook and clare short weakened blair’s position
- suicide of david kelly increased scrutiny and the handling of the war
- unsuccessful as subsequent uk deployment into other middle eastern conflicts
36
details of may’s early election 2017
- election not due until 2020
- cameron resigns july 2016
- wanted to secure legitimacy and implement brexit strategy
- weak tory campaign “strong and stable”
- minority gov, had to have dup support
37
examples of patronage powers being used
- may removed 15 from cabinet
- coalition gov 2010 constrained by power sharing
- may had to consider both leave and remain supporters to balance her cabinet
38
explanation of pm authority over cabinet
- collective decision making body
- institutional powers (cabinet reshuffle, setting agenda in weekly meetings, dictating policy priorities)
- mps who do not agree with policy/agenda have to resign
39
entent to which the pm can have authority over the cabinet
- more powerful if party is united, therefore compromise wanted
- pm has ability to unite and rally the party
40
examples of pm using authority over the cabinet
- blair unable to gian browns support of uk adopting the euro
- may constricted ‘chequer’s deal’ over brexit
- may tried to remove hunt as health secretary
41
explanation pm’s power arranging and sometimes chairing cabinet committees
- pm at liberty to structure and organise these
- reduces burden on full cabinet by allowing smaller groups to taken on specific policy areas
- implement task forces
- used to reflect current concerns
42
extent to which the pm can arrange and chair cabinet committees
- existence of committee does not guarantee the significance
- pm can deploy, rearrange and ignore as they see it
- seen as important to ensure the smooth running of cabinet
43
examples of pms arranging and chairing cabinet committees
- eu exit strategy , eu exit operations, economic operations committee
- boris replaced task forces with ‘implementation committees’ in response to covid
- may set up several ad hoc committees for brexit
- johnson created climate chaneg committee 2019
44
explanation of the pm dictating party policy
- those who have large majorities or stronger mandates are able to be a lot more influential
45
extent to which pm can dictate party policy
- often bound to manifesto pledges and the subsequent unfolding events
- other external events can hinder the ability of dictating manifesto pledges
46
exmaple of pm dictating party policy
- thatcher poll tax and privatisation of council houses
- blair priority to modernise constitution
47
explanation of the pm being party leader
- legitimacy in rule as chosen by mps
- loyalty is conditional, but necessary in town elections
- charisma and individuality ability that unites parties
48
extent to which the pm is party leader
- must have parties support and loyalty for success
- own charisma and level of approachfullness is vital to success
- those who are bland and do not effectively appeal or unite parties fail
49
exmaple of pms being party leaders
- thatcher vote of no confidence
- john major 1995 called leadership contest ‘back me or sack me’, an attempt to neutralise backbench opinion. won the election
50
explanation of pm dispensing honours
- can award life peerages to former mps or party supporters
- often used to alter party balance to their advantage
- independent appointments commission recommends nominees for peerages
51
extent to which pms can dispense honours
- hard for PMs to navigate the criticism that follows
- a way to reward loyal and general mps
- can lead to accusations of cronyism and ‘cash for honours’
52
examples of pms dispensing honours
- blair and brown made 173 labour peers. but only let 60 tory peerages go through
- cameron and may let 139 tory life peerages, 59 of which were labour
53
explanation of pm using personal and political powers
- helpful in domination of being leader
54
extent to which pms can use personal and political powers
- can give peerages
- uses political capital to persuade and lead more effectively
55
examples of pm using personal and political powers
- 1982, thatcher taking a risk with falklands, advised not to but went ahead. boosted authority
- 2014 cameron allowing scottish independence referendum, scotland remained and he gained political stature
56
collective ministerial responsibility
- convention
- show of stability and unity and strength
- enables gov to speak with one voice and to appear united
- does not prevent disagreements behind closed doors
- if a member disagrees they have to resign
57
5 reasons ministers may have to resign
- accepting blame for an error/injustice
- unwilling to accept collective responsibility over a policy
- an a inability to deliver a policy promise in their own department
- personal misconduct
- political pressure
58
explanation of resigning over accepting blame within a department
- often blame civil servants instead
- e.g. gavin williamson (education in covid) resigned over exam fiasco of 2020. remained in post and blamed OFQUAL for error
- head of OFQUAL then resigned
59
example of refusing to accept policy then resigning
- robin cool under blair as foreign secretary over iraq war
60
example of resigning over inability to deliver policy promise
- sajid david resigned as chancellor in 2020 when refusing to sack all his aides as the pm wished
61
what are the 7 qualities the ministerial code establishes of ministers?
- selflessness
- integrity
- objectivity
- accountability
- openness
- honesty
- leadership
62
example of resignation because of personal misconduct
- david blunkett resigned twice from blair’s gov
- first time he resigned as fast tracked visa for ex lover
63
example of resigning over political pressure
- plebgate (andrew mitchell) forced to resign 2012 after calling police ‘fucking plebs’
