Role of PM & Cabinet

Nature of the cabinet
1. it is composed of 20 - 25 senior politicans, all appointed directly by the PM
2. members of the cabinet must be members of either the HOC or the HOL.
3. If the PM wishes to appoint someone to cabinet who is neither or these then s/he must grant that person a life peerage so they can sit in the lords
4. Normally one party wins an overall majority of the seats in the commons and so forms a government alone.
5. where - as in 2010 - there is a coalition, the members of the cabinet can be from either of the parties in the coalition.
6. Cabinet normally meets once a week, but more often if there is a crisis or an emergency
7. the PM chairs the meeting, with the Cabinet secretary, the most senior civil servants, and therefore a neutral, non-elected official. the prime minster decided what will be discussed and then notes the decision in the minutes
8. A number of Cabinet Committees are created to deal in detail with specific areas of government policy.
9. The Minutes of the Cabinet meetings remain a secret for at least 30 years. However the main cabinet decisions are made widely known
10. Cabinet decisions are effectively, offical government policy
11. The Prime Minister has the power to reshuffel cabinet
12. The cabinet work on the basis of collective responsiblity
Role of Cabinet
1. It formalises and legitimises offical government policy
2. Policies may have their origins else where, for example, the PM or Department but they need the stamp of approval of the cabinet to become legitimate and generally recognised
3. Deals with disputes between different departments and ministers when thier proposals conflict or when there are problems allocating scarce government funding between different uses
4. It may meet in special session to deal with a crisis or emergency situation, for example, the banking and financial crisis 2007-09
5. Cabinet is where the presentation of policy is determined. That is to ensure that ministers co-ordinate the way in which policy is portrayed to the media and the public.
6. The business of Parliament is arranged in the cabinet, in conjunction with the party whips. Ministers must be aware of what is happening in Parliament and when thier presence is required
7. Policy formulation rarely takes place in cabinet, but from time to time the PM may invite the whole of cabinet to discuss an important issue of the day, for example, the decision to bid for the 2012 Olympics
Role of Ministers
1. They are senior members of the government party or coalition
2. Most minsters have to manage a department, being responsible for its policies and decisions.
3. Ministers preside over the drafting of legislation and are reponsible for managing proposed legislation through parliament
4. Ministers are assisted by large numbers of neutral civil servants and private advisors
What is the PM
1. Most important senoir member in the government
2. Derives his or her power from the monarch, effectively the monarch's representative and so the powers passed down are prerogative powers.
3. The PM is the head of government
4. The PM is the leader o th largest party in the HOC
5. The PM is not elected in any formal process; s/he is appointed automatically by the monarch as the leader of he largest prty followig the election
6. S/He is known as primus inter pares, a latin phrase meanig 'first among equals'
7. Primus inter pares means that the PM is technically in the same position as any other minister, but it is acknowledged that he or she is the most senior of those ministers and terefore leads the government
Collective responsibility
1. The Cabinet is collectively reponsible for all government policy
2. All ministers must be prepared to defend offical government poliy, as legitimised by te cabinet
3. They must support government policy in public even if the disagree with it privately
4. Any minister who fails to support government policy must face dismissal
5. Ministers must resign if they intend to opose government policy publicly
6. Robin Cook and John Denham (2003) - over the Iraq invasion
7. Lee Scott and Mike Crockart (2010) - the decision to allow universities to increase tuition fees
Individual Ministerial Responsibillity
1. A minister is responsible for all the decisons made by his or her department
2. The minister is responsible whether or not he or she was involved in the decision-making process
3. If the error is serious enough, the minister will be expected to resign or face dismissal, depending on wether he or she is supported by the PM
4. Minsters are also expected to resign over serious issues of personal misconduct
5. David Laws (2010) - Alleged financial irregularities
6. Peter Mandelson (1998) - embarrassing questions about a loan from another party member
Impact of the Coalition
1. The PM had to divide the cabinet between the two coalition parties
2. He has to negotiate policy wth his coalition partner
3. Collective resonsibility cmes under strain becuase the government is made up of two competing parties
4. Some policies cannot be agreed between the coaliton partners and so result in 'agreements to differ'.
5. The power of PM has been reduced because he does not lead a completely united government
6. New appointments to cabinet from the small coalition partner have to be agree with the leader of the coalition partner
7. The Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg, became deputy prime minister

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Role of PM & Cabinet

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