Prime Minister and the Executive Quiz

The Executive is made up of the Prime Minister, Cabinet ministers, junior ministers, and government departments. The Prime Minister leads, the Cabinet co-ordinates, junior ministers support policy areas, and departments implement policy.

The Executive proposes legislation, proposes the annual budget (prepared by the Chancellor), and makes policy decisions within the limits of law and finances. It also manages the civil service and the armed forces.

The Executive controls the legislative agenda, exercises Royal Prerogative powers, and uses secondary legislation to make detailed law. Its power lies in its ability to combine political leadership with control of parliamentary time.

These are historic powers of the Crown now exercised by ministers, including the power to appoint ministers, declare war, make treaties, and issue passports. In recent years, parliamentary approval has increasingly been sought (e.g. Iraq War 2003, Syria 2013).

Primary legislation is law passed by Parliament, while secondary legislation allows ministers to make detailed rules under powers granted by an Act. The Executive uses statutory instruments to manage technical or urgent issues, though critics highlight weak scrutiny.

Ministers are accountable for their personal conduct and departmental performance. Resignations include Estelle Morris (2002, exam marking failures) and Amber Rudd (2018, Windrush scandal). However, ministers often survive unless political pressure is overwhelming.

All ministers must support government policy or resign. Examples include Robin Cook (2003, Iraq War) and Boris Johnson (2018, Brexit policy). It ensures unity but had been weakened by coalition and Brexit-era disputes.

The Prime Minister balances loyalty, ability, party unity, diversity, and political strategy. For example, Theresa May appointed both Remainers and Brexiteers in 2016 to manage divisions.

These include the PM’s leadership style, size of majority, unity of the party, and strength of external events. A strong PM with a majority (e.g. Blair) dominates, while weak PMs with divided parties (e.g. May) rely more on Cabinet.

The PM has grown more dominant due to media focus, use of special advisers, and Cabinet committees. However, events such as Brexit showed Cabinet and Parliament can constrain prime ministerial power.

The PM sets the political agenda, chairs Cabinet, controls ministerial appointments, leads foreign policy, and represents the nation internationally. Strong PMs like Thatcher shaped both policy and events decisively.

The Cabinet co-ordinates policy settles disputes between departments, and approves decisions. It can constrain the PM in times of weakness, as seen with Thatcher’s downfall in 1990 and May’s Brexit struggles.

Thatcher used a strong majority to push through radical economic reforms (privatisation, trade union laws) and led decisively during the Falklands War (1982). Her dominance of Cabinet earned her the label of a “presidential” Prime Minister.

Blair centralised power in No. 10, relied heavily on special advisers, and pursued policies such as constitutional reform and intervention in Iraq (2003). His dominance showed the “sofa government” style but his power weakened after Iraq and Gordon Brown’s challenge.

The PM dominates when they have electoral authority, party unity, and strong media presence. Cabinet influence increases in times of crisis or when the PM lacks authority. In practice, power fluctuates depending on political context, as shown by Thatcher, Blair, May, and Johnson.