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Structures and Processes of Government

Structures and Processes of Government. Prime Minister Ministers. Prime Minister. Leads the Government First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service First Among Equals “primus inter pares” - relationship of power between PM and Ministers. Sometimes tested.

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Structures and Processes of Government

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  1. Structures and Processes of Government Prime Minister Ministers

  2. Prime Minister • Leads the Government • First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service • First Among Equals “primus inter pares” - relationship of power between PM and Ministers. Sometimes tested. • PM’s Question Time - chance to grill PM about policies and decisions • PM has to be a particular character - personality, charisma, strong leadership skills

  3. PM’s role • Appoints government • Steers government • Organises government • Requests dissolution/prorogation of Parliament • Controls House of Commons • Leads the nation • Meets with sovereign • Recommends appointment of senior judges • Recommend peerages/honours to sovereign • Appoints members of Cabinet committees

  4. Holding the PM to account • Public – they are an MP and have to stand for re-election • Press – Negative headlines • Parliament – PMQs; committees; EDM’s; urgent debates; adjournment debates • Party – rebellions; meetings with party (Parliamentary Labour Party; 1922 Committee)

  5. Cabinet • Initiate and decide upon government policy • Control government & Co-ordinate government departments • Major decisions made, committee decisions ratified and conflicts resolved • Collective decision - even if not all in agreement - if anyone disagrees they are expected to resign. • Attend 3 types of committees - Standing/Ad Hoc/Ministerial • Cabinet members also members of Privy Council

  6. The role of the cabinet • Formal approval • Final court of appeal • Crisis management • Debating forum • Legitimiser • Symbol of collective excutive

  7. Cabinet Committees • CC’s made the bulk of government decisions or prepare them for higher-level decision • PM is responsible for establishment, composition and chairmanship

  8. Departments

  9. Ministerial • Ministers are required to inform Parliament of the conduct of their department • Must also explain their own actions • Defend departmental policy before QT • Policy vs. Operations - managerial responsibility

  10. Individual Ministerial Responsibility • Few ministers have felt the need to “carry the can” for policy failure • There have been some forced resignations over personal misconduct • Ministers are reluctant to take the blame and admit errors

  11. Prisons Agency • Derek Lewis, Director-General of Prisons Agency resigned in 1995 following escapes from Parkhurst Prison. • He took the blame for the Agencies failings, even though Home Secretary Michael Howard had compromised Lewis’s operations

  12. Foreign Office resignation • Foreign Secretary Lord Carrington and the entire FO team resigned in 1982 for failing to foresee and prevent the Argentinian invasion of the Falklands, however Defence Secretary John Nott survived

  13. Ministerial resignations • David Blunkett resigned twice. • 2004 resigned as Home Secretary after affair with Spectator publisher and claims he fast tracked the nanny’s passport application. • 2007 resigned as WP Secretary after claims he’d failed to consult on a business post he’d taken before the election.

  14. Ministerial Resignations • David Mellor resigned as Heritage Secretary in 1992 for his affair with Antonio de Sancha • Jonathan Aitken resigned 1995 to fight libel action

  15. Civil Service • Ultimate responsibility of the Prime Minister in his/her role as Minister for the Civil Service • There are more than 60 depts and 100 executive agencies (quangos), which employ about 480,000 people • Civil Service staff are graded • They are Servants of the Crown and are non political • Follow the Civil Service Code

  16. Constraints on Minister’s Power • Numbers • Permanence • Weak preparation for office • Workload • Control of information • Co-ordinating role • Implementation

  17. Executive Agencies • Offshoots to make Civil Service more manageable • Est by Thatcher in 1988 • Resemble companies through their structure • Have no profit motive and staffed by Civil Servants • Egs: Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA); JobCentre Plus

  18. Quangos • Quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation • Taxpayer funded organisations – have management board • Beyond direct control • Egs: Arts Council England

  19. Special Advisers • Temporary civil servants appointed under the Civil Service Order in Council • Exempt from the requirement to behave with political impartiality and objectivity • Required to comply with Civil Service Code and Code of Conduct for Special Advisers • Their position is terminated when the administration which appointed them ends. • They cannot issue instructions to Civil Servants on behalf of Ministers • Known colloquially as Spin Doctors (Alistair Campbell)

  20. Special Advisers 08

  21. What connects these photos?

  22. What’s the story?

  23. What connects these photos?

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