events control PM

• themes

  • Rishi Sunak
  • Blair
  • Thatcher
• Rishi sunak - Thatherite

  • Events - increase in immigration led to illegal immigration act (Rwanda Bill)
  • Defeated in House of Lords 12 times in ping pong legislation
  • PM has prerogative to do policy making and setting agendas
  • Reverse fizz truss, mini budget policy - 11% to 2.3%
• Rishi sunak - Against

  • despite this, it was heavily delated by House of Lords
  • PM is weak - go through multiple checks and balances
  • constrains autonomy to legislate
  • snap elections - 2024
  • Tories want to replace him as PM
  • much political pressure - called for election early despite opinion polls showing 22% approval
• Blair - Thirdway

  • Reforms - introduced devolution - brokered Good Friday agreement
  • ended two decades of conflict
  • decreased sectarian death from 700 to 80
  • legislation is a power of PM
  • Blairs sofa cabinet - presidentialism - Iraq war - didn't notify parliament - argued to be a "war criminal" amongst many critics
• blair - against

  • despite this, political violence override the PM, still divisions in Ireland
  • DUP and SF
  • Opinion polls show 30% decrease in popularity
  • Lost 48 seats in 2005 - signify a lack of popularity amongst voters - voters new salient issue becomes government spending on Iraq rather than funding public services and allow more economic progression
  • STV electoral system - Collapse and reflecting instability in 2022
• Thatcher

  • winter of discontent
  • trade union reforms - trade union act
  • privitisation of British Gas and British Airways
  • radical policy emerged gradually after the successful sale of shares
  • motivated by Neo - conservative ideology
  • Falklands war - 50% + approval by opinion polls
• thatcher against

  • The poll tac - taxation system, no one liked - everyone pays the same rate of tax
  • This was more beneficial for the rich - not reducing the increase in inequality as they were still recovering from an economic recession
  • cabinet divisions - many factions
  • poor opinion polls - 30%
  • she was the author of her own misfortune - ignoring ministers - leading to 26 backbench rebellions - they act as a checks and balance