Summary UK politics & government: the power of the PM & the cabinet
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Course
Unit 2 - Governing the UK
Institution
PEARSON (PEARSON)
detailed notes on the area of the specification that covers the power of the PM & the cabinet; factors affecting this relationship and how it has changed, power balances & the PM's selection of ministers. This is for the Edexcel spec for paper 2 but can also be useful for AQA paper 1.
Functions / roles of the Cabinet –
Key forum in which govt policies are approved / legitimised –
maintains unity of govt.
Can determine key issues of policy. 2018 – May summoned the
cabinet to Chequers (PM’s country retreat) to determine what the
govt’s bargaining position should be in the final stages of her Brexit
negotiations.
Decide how govt will determine business. If controversial legislation
is to be introduced into parliament, cabinet must discuss how it is
best presented & know when will be available on the front benches
to support it. Chief whip will explain whether there is likely to be a
govt majority for it & then cabinet may debate concessions to win
support.
If dispute between 2 departments is not resolved, the issue may be
brought to cabinet as a final court of appeal. Particularly significant
in 2010-15 coalition.
PM appoints cabinet committees to develop & implement specific
policy – enhance PM authority as they determine the membership of
the committees. Their decisions hold same legitimacy as full cabinet
decisions. PM often chooses to chair committees on important
issues. E.g., BJ chaired the Covid-19 Strategy Committee.
How is cabinet selected? –
By deciding who is in cabinet, PM puts own stamp on govt. However,
PM does not have free hand – there will be some high-profile ‘big
beasts’ whose exclusion would be politically impossible, while other
members of legislature would never aspire to high office.
PM under great pressure to include influential colleagues &
dominant personalities in cabinet. – 1997 – it would have been
inconceivable for Blair not to appoint Gordon Brown as chancellor of
exchequer, given his economic expertise & their agreement to share
the 2 top jobs in govt.
PM advances to senior positions key allies they can rely on for
support in crises:
- After 2nd landslide GE victory, Blair advanced careers of labour
modernisers like Alan Johnson (education) & Alan Milburn
, (Health) to provide his govt with continued reforming
momentum.
PM should include potential rivals in govt, since this binds them to
CMS & they cannot publicly criticise govt.
- From 2016-2018, May tolerated BJ’s broad interpretation of CMS
as her position was safer with him in govt.
Party unity – PM often decides to balance cabinet to avoid alienating
certain sections of party.
- To reassure that New Labour had not entirely abandoned its
socialist ideology, Blair had John Prescott as deputy PM from
1997-2007 who was from the working-class left of the party.
- Especially important to May when she became PM in immediate
aftermath of Brexit referendum. As party was divided, had to give
prominent cabinet positions to Remainers & Leavers. Remain –
home secretary Amber Rudd & Leave – foreign secretary BJ.
Coalition – PM’s right to appoint severely restricted.
- 2010 – as part of Coalition Agreement, Cameron had to appoint
Clegg as deputy PM & give LibDems 5/22 seats in cabinet.
Contrastingly, BJ was initially so dominant & faced few rivals within
party that he could act in defiance of the principle of balance & have
his cabinet full of those who shared his political ideology. Truss acted
similarly.
- Disadvantage of approach – can encourage party divisions if one
faction feels marginalised.
Sunak reverted to traditional approach of balance – Jeremy Hunt
(shred his economic views) as chancellor & kept James Cleverly as
foreign secretary.
How significant is the cabinet? –
Walter Bagehot – The English Constitution – cabinet is ‘the most
powerful body in the state’ & the PM is first among equals.
However, also been said that the large size of cabinet precludes
constructive debate. – more of a rubber stamp for policies that have
already been determined elsewhere in the core executive.
Since Harold Wilson’s govt in 60s, notion of a cabinet govt has been
questioned (centrality of cabinet to development of policy).
- PMs have acquired other sources of advice & info & are treated
presidentially be media – will have already decided the focus &
direction of govt without cabinet consultation.
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