Role of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

1. Role of the Prime Minister and Cabinet From sofa government to cabinet government From Prime Ministerial to Presidential Week 4 Joy Johnson

2. Andrew Marr (part of his documentary series) • Powerful Prime Minister brought down by her own Ministers and MPs – she had become an electoral liability • Europe was the catalyst but the poll tax riots in the streets of London the low politics for her MPs as they faced revolt in their constituencies and were fearful of losing their seats

3. British Prime Minister flanked by his Chancellor and Deputy PM

4. Tony Blair stands down • Tony Blair leaves to cheers from his Ministers and MPs but he was forced to stand down before his time

5. Role of the Prime Minister • Key texts Morrison Essential Public Affairs for Journalists • Peter DoreyPolicy Making in Britain • Anthony King The British Constitution • Andrew RawnsleyThe End of the Party • Steve Richards Whatever it Takes • David Laws 22 Days in May • Hugo Young One of Us

6. Power of the Prime Minister and the relationship with the cabinet • Prime Ministers are ‘inter pares’ – first among equals • No 10 Downing Street • Official residence Chequers • Elected as MP with the responsibilities that entails • Leader of the party • Becomes Prime Minister (we don’t elect a PM) • Recent powerful (but still limited) PMs have led to the accusation that the system has become more presidential

7. Royal prerogative (PM has authority by the sovereign) • Keep the sovereign informed • Declare war and peace • Recommend passage of Bills to Royal Assent • Recommend dissolution and prorogation of Parliament • Draw up Queen’s speech (usually from contents of the manifesto) • Recommend appointments • Recommend honours • Answer for policies at PMQ’s, make statements to the House and so on

8. PM other roles • Has the distinct title of Minister for Civil Service (serviced by the Cabinet Office) • First Lord of the Treasury

9. Role of the PM • Appoints a cabinet (Political juggling acts) • Chairs meetings of the Cabinet

10. Margaret Thatcher & her Cabinet • Broke with tradition • Respectful of tradition and cabinet government she was according to King p 324 more concerned with outward form than their inner meaning. • “She suffered defeats in early years of her premiership, but, once the Tory wets and other tiresome dissidents were out of the way, her style became progressively more imperious and less collegial”.

11. Thatcher’s style of governing • According to one of her most fervent admirers Nicholas Ridley; “She was Prime Minister, she knew what wanted to do, and she didn’t believe her policies should be subject to being voted down by a group she had selected to advise and assist her”. King p 325

12. Tony Blair – decisions made outside Cabinet • Blair’s first Cabinet secretary Robin Butler said; “From the start the proceedings were very informal. Tony Blair wasn’t interested in setting an agenda and working through the items...cabinet ministers were not encouraged to raise issues themselves.” Rawnsley p 64

13. Chilcot inquiry – evidence from Lord Prescott – Blair’s sofa government

14. Collective responsibility • Ministers bound by collective responsibility if they disagree traditionally resign i.e. Robin Cook former Labour Foreign Secretary over the war in Iraq

15. Cook’s resignation statement • http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7345986942222242060#

16. Trusted confidantesas opposed to collective responsibility • Kitchen Cabinet • Sofa government • Not always Ministerial colleagues i.e. For Blair, Alistair Campbell (Press Secretary), (had to leave when he became the story); Jonathan Powell, Chief of Staff • Thatcher , Charles Powell Foreign Adviser; Bernard Ingham, Press Secretary (close but not as close as recent communication chief

17. Trusted confidantes (spin doctors) • Cameron, Andy Coulson, Press Secretary (had to leave when he became the story), Craig Oliver new Press Secretary; Steve Hilton, Director of Strategy • Not restricted to these positions

18. Tensions can exist

19. Spin doctors becoming the story • Campbell – dodgy dossier • Coulson former News of the World editor – phone hacking scandal • Cameron’s judgement called into question over Coulson’s appointment

20. Presidential style • By-passing and or downgrading the role of the Cabinet in devising policy • Announcing policies to the media before announcing them to Parliament • Ignoring popular opinion and protest • Grandstanding on the international stage

21. Holding the PM to account • PM have great power and need to be held to account • Public (elected as an MP) • Press (allies and foes) • Parliament (question time) also twice yearly Commons Liaison Committee made up of chairs of the select committee question the PM – Blair’s backbenchers frequently rebelled (the official opposition was weak) • Votes of No Confidence (James Callaghan Labour PM was defeated in 1979 on a no confidence vote) • (fixed terms P’ment would still allow for vote of no confidence) • Party (Thatcher always had the support of her party, Blair did not)

22. PM power – support and constraintsDorey – Policy making in Britain • Enhancing power • Large parliamentary majority • Unified cabinet • Recent gen election victory • High opinion poll ratings • Competence and integrity of ministerial colleagues • Clear objectives and strategy • Supportive media • Strong, stable economic situation • International crisis, well handled • Weak, ineffective Opposition • Constraining power • Small parliamentary majority • Divided cabinet • Division among backbenchers • Mid term blues • Low opinion poll ratings • Incompetence or scandals involving ministerial colleagues • Limited grasp of policy details • Media hostility • Recession/economic crisis • International crisis, poorly-handled • Strong, credible Opposition

23. Variables of PM power • “His or her power varies from time to time according to the extent their Cabinet colleagues permit them to have that power, depending on whether the Cabinet is split, depending also on the strength of the Government majority in the House of Commons and also popular opinion in the electorate and attitudes in the Party”. (Sir Richard Wilson former Cabinet Secretary giving evidence to the Public Accts Committee 2002 as quoted in Dorey)

24. TV debates during general election • Adds to Presidential style

25. Cabinet ranking • Cabinet – 3 great offices of state: • Chancellor of the Exchequer; Foreign Secretary; Home Secretary • Deputy PM (Thatcher made Howe Dep PM but this was demotion from Foreign Secretary; Blair had Prescott as link to the Labour Party; Cameron and Clegg perhaps more meaningful but Clegg very much the jnr partner) • Cabinet ministers generally referred to as Secretaries of State

26. Relationship that matters • Prime Minister and his Chancellor

27. Chancellor and his Chief Secretary • Cutting the deficit the coalition partnership – Osborne and Alexander

28. Government • Gordon Brown brought in outsiders and made them peers to join the government • Peter Mandelson peerage – Business secretary in the cabinet • Others commonly known as GOATS government of all the talents!

29. Government departments • Government departments • 3 great offices of state as before • Ministry of Justice (Kenneth Clarke - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice) • Education • Business and Industry • Defence • Health • Work and Pensions • and so on

30. Cabinet & Ministers • Ministers without Portfolio • Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster • Leader of the House • Chief Whip • Ministers of State • Parliamentary Under Secretaries • (Parliamentary Private Secretary PPS unpaid )

31. Civil Service • Professional civil service serve the government - political neutrality - non partisan, does not change with change of government • Cabinet Secretary • Permanent Secretaries – serve his/her secretary of state • Collective term for the administrative structure • Also known as ‘Whitehall’ • Permanent Secretaries

32. Civil servants relationship with PM and ministers • Need to work together but the relationship can be tense • New Labour suspicious of the Civil Service • Wary of civil servants who had prospered under the preceding Conservative government (British Constitution, King p 222)

33. interdependency Civil servants resources Minister’s resources Access to Cabinet Access to media Alternative source of advice Authority Political alliances Political support/legitimacy Prime Ministerial backing • Anonymity • Experience • Expertise • Knowledge • Permanence • Time • Whitehall network

34. Close to the Prime Minister and Secretaries of State Special advisers (SPADS) - Blair Spads – party animal Spads have loyalty to their boss – party appointment If the Cabinet minister resigns or is sacked the Spad goes as well Civil servants permanent – non partisan • Head of Policy • Devolution • Economy • Foreign Affairs • Health and Social Services • Home Affairs • Inequality and social exclusion • Trade and Industry • Transport • Welfare (inc. Children, the elderly and women)

35. Executive Agencies • Delivery not policy formulation • Examples • Single biggest agency – Jobcentre Plus • HM Revenue and Customs • Criticism is that Ministers don’t accept responsibility • (when HMRC lost data the Chief Exec resigned not the Chancellor of the Exchequer) (Morrison Public Affairs for Journalists p 115/116)

36. Quangos • Quangos are often confused with executive agencies • Quasi authonomous non governmental organisations (hence quangos) • Examples Arts Council, • Primary care trusts and strategic health authorities (being abolished re Health and Social Care Bill)

37. Bonfire of the quangos

39. Draft cabinet manual • http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmpolcon/writev/734/cicm08.htm • Looks at monarchy, government, parliament, devolved institutions • Written by Sir Gus O’Donnell • House of Lords select committee hearing evidence – January/February 2011

40. Issues • Tensions within the Coalition • Draft Cabinet manual • Written constitution • Return to Cabinet government • Wholesale reform of the government departments for example Health, Education, Justice, Home Office