The Prime Minister and the Cabinet

1. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet • Prime Ministers have many powers that can only be exercised effectively with the support of the Cabinet. • The Cabinet is the group of high-ranking government ministers selected to run the Departments of State, such as the Foreign Office, Home Office, Ministry of Defence and Treasury.

2. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet • Cabinet ministers, like all ministers, are appointed and may be dismissed by the Monarch at pleasure (that is, they may be dismissed without notice or reason given, although normally they are given a courteous option to resign), on the advice of the PM. • Any change to the Cabinet is known as a reshuffle. Nick Clegg – Deputy Prime Minister David Cameron – Prime Minister

3. CABINET MINISTERS • First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs – William Hague. Work and Pensions – Iain Duncan Smith Home Secretary – Theresa May.

4. Education – Michael Gove. • Chancellor of the Exchequer – George Osborne. Scotland –.

5. THE CABINET • ThePrime Minister chairs the regular Cabinet meetings and sets the agenda for those meetings. During these meetings decisions on implementing government policy will be made. • Through the Cabinet Office, which monitors the activities of all the Departments of State, Prime Ministers maintain an overview of how Cabinet decisions are being implemented.

6. THE CABINET The Prime Minister also appoints smaller committees within the Cabinet and will often sit on the most powerful of these. Prime Ministers have tended, in recent years, to have an 'inner' Cabinet of very close colleagues. On major issues, this group will often have decided the outcome of a Cabinet meeting before it begins. • BBC News - MPs and peers sing, dance, play music on the stage • BBC News - PMQs: Heckling, finger pointing and a 'death stare' Ministers - Inside Government - GOV.UK

7. Powers of the Prime Minister • POWER OF APPOINTMENT/DISMISSAL The PM appoints members of the cabinet, junior ministers, civil service posts, life peers, judges and can also award honours. • CABINET CHAIRPERSON The PM sets the Agenda for cabinet meetings and sets up Cabinet sub-committees. • CALLS A GENERAL ELECTION The PM decides this date and is therefore able to capitalise on favourable publicity at the time. • REPRESENTS THE UK ABROAD He or she plays a key role in foreign and economic policy attending commonwealth and EU meetings for example. • POLICY MAKER The PM has an overview of policies, not confined to one department like Ministers. Most policies originate in the Cabinet which the PM chairs. The PM also controls how these policies are presented through the PM’s press office, in party briefings and the use of the media. • IMAGE/MEDIA The PM attracts a lot of media attention and their image directly influences popular support.

8. CHECKS ON THE POWERS OF THE PRIME MINISTER PARTY SUPPORT The PM must keep the party support as they elect the party leader. POWERFUL COLLEAGUES The PM may be forced to include powerful figures that may not hold the same views. They are then bound by collective responsibility and are less likely to cause dissent. PUBLIC OPINION Lack of public support can influence how much a PM achieves their aims. They are also likely to lose the party leadership if not re-elected. THE MEDIA Media coverage may strengthen or weaken a PM’s position. The PM must be seen to be in control. THE OPPOSITION The opposition will scrutinise and challenge the PM and the government.

10. What is Spin? • How news stories can be contrived or ‘spun’ in a certain way to get the right kind of coverage in newspapers and the broadcast media. • BBC Two - Democracy In Action, What is spin? • BBC Two - Democracy In Action, Political Spin and the Media