The Prime Minister and the Executive

• Powers of the PM

  • Powers of patronage - appoint life peers, dismiss ministers, honours system
  • Power over cabinet - PM leads the core executive and civil service
  • Power over parliament - PM usually commands a majority, has a mandate to govern, party unity
  • Power over the agenda - control of the kings speech, 1st term govs have a 'honeymoon' period and receive good will from the media/public
• Limits on the power of a PM

  Relationships within cabinet

  • Balence, and strength of supporters or rivals in cabinet
  • Thatcher - Heseltine
  • Blair - Brown
  • May - Johnson
  • Strong or weak ministers
  • Resignations
  • Geoffrey Howe - brought down Thatcher as PM
  • Robin Cook - resigned due to the Iraq war putting pressure on Blair
• Limits on the power of a PM

  Limited by Parliament

  • Majority
  • Strong - Blair (179 seats in 1997) Johnson (80 seats in 2019)
  • Weak - Cameron (20 seats short in 2010, needed coalition) May (9 seats short in 2017, needed DUP support)
  • Effectiveness of opposition
• Limits on the power of a PM

  Limited by Party

  • Popularity of PM within their party
  • Election winners, esp those with large majorities, enjoy support of their party
  • Thatcher initially very popular
  • popularity faded over issues on the EU, which allowed John Major to take the country into the ERM, something she was opposed to, showing her depleating power
• Limits on power of a PM

  Lack of a mandate to govern

  • PMs without a general election win may not be able to claim a mandate from the people
  • Theresea May lost her majority in 2017 and did not win an election to succeed Cameron in 2016
  • Gordon Brown had similar issues, although never lost his majority as he didn't call a general election, as after succeeding Blair some questioned his authority
• Limits on the power of a PM

  Limited by public opinion/media

  • Governments can be forced to U-Turn policy due to popular opinion
  • Marcus Rashfords free school lunches campaign
  • Joanna Lumley and the Gurkha Justice Campaign
• Limits on the power of a PM

  Limited by their own 'ability'

  • Pms may be indecisive
  • John Major was seen as weak and indecisive compared to Thatcher
  • Gordon Brown - poor communication skills, tried to micro-manage, poor temperament, seen as indecisive after backing down on calling an election
  • Some PMs may seem incompetent and unprofessional
  • Boris Johnson and poor personal conduct/scandals
  • Liz Truss was seen as being overpromoted and attempted to implement radical economic policies (accused of playing 'a-level economics)
• Limits on the power of a PM

  Limited by events

  • Events do most to shape a premiership, particularly controversial issues
  • terrorism
  • wars
  • Brexit
  • covid
• Key events for PMs

  Callaghan

  • 'Crisis, what crisis?'
  • Winter of discontent
  • 1979 unable to control striking trade unions
  • ended up losing a vote of confidence by 1 vote
• Key events for PMs

  Thatcher

  • Falklands war 1983
  • Poll Tax
  • Joining ERM
  • relations with the european union
• Key events for PMs


  Major

  • EU Maastricht Treaty 1992
  • Black Wednesday 1992
  • Cash for questions/sleaze 1994 onwards
• Key events for PMs

  Blair

  • Sept 11th attacks
  • Iraq war 2003
• Key events for PMs

  Brown

  • Financial crash 2008
  • 'bigoted women' 2010
• Key events for PMs

  Cameron

  • Scottish independence referendum 2014
  • EU referendum 2016
• Key events for PMs

  May

  • ongoing Brexit negotiations
  • called an unnecessary election and lost a majority
  • Failed to get a Brexit deal
• Key events for PMs

  Johnson

  • Brexit 2019
  • Partygate
  • Prorogation of Parliament scandal 2019
  • Covid-19 pandemic
  • pinchergate
  • Ukraine war 2022
• Key events for PMs

  Truss

  • 'mini-budget' crashed the economy in 2022
• Key events for PMs

  Sunak

  • Rwanda policy 2024
  • Cost of living crisis
  • Israel/Palestine conflict 2023
• PMs Main powers

  • The Royal Prerogative
  • Shaping and deciding policy nationally
  • Patronage - able to choose cabinet, reshuffling as appropriate
  • Arranging structure of cabinet committees
  • high media profile
  • Able to make use of special advisers , SpAds, for policy input and asvice
• The Prime Ministers Office


  Senior civil servants and special advisors are based at 10 Downing Street and have two important roles

  1. Policy advice, Current Chief of Staff - Liam Booth-Smith
  2. Communications, Current Director of Communications - Nerissa Chesterfield
• PM staff making news

  Doesnt usually happen as civil servants are meant to be a neutral and a kind of background force behind the government.

  • Allegra Stratton - Former Downing street Press Secretary, responsible for presentation of government policy to the media, resigned over 'partygate'
  • Joke about Christmas party, tape was leaked
• The Cabinet System


  Cabinet Office is a department of the government and is responsible for supporting the Prime Minister by co-ordinating the work of government

  • Labour strengthened its role in 2001 making it a 'virtual prime ministers office' increasing the PMs power
  • Cabinet Secretary: Simon Case, most senior civil servant role and advises PM and cabinet on policy issues
• Role of the Cabinet

  Cabinet operates on collective responsibility, ministers may argue in private but must have a united front regarding policies in public, otherwise they are expected to resign

  • Debates major issues
  • settle disputes between government departments
  • determine government business in parliament
  • decision making
• Is Collective Responsibility under threat?


  Convention of collective responsibility has been steadily eroded:

  • PM dominance and lack of debate in cabinet, ex Tony Blair and Iraq
  • The coalition government 2010-15: numerous issues where Lib Dem ministers were not bound by collective responsibility, unity within coalition broke down as the election neared
  • Collective responsibility temporarily suspended during referendum campaigns, ex 1975 EEC referendum, 2011 AV referendum, 2016 EU referendum
• Is collective responsibility under threat? (2)

  • Leaks to media undermine collective responsibility, Gavin Williamson 2019 Huawei involvement with UK 5G network
  • forced to resign, but refused to as he felt that it would incriminate him, May had 'compelling evidence' and had 'lost confidence in his ability to serve his role'