The Executive - The Cabinet & Relationship with PM

Appointing Cabinet Ministers:
  • In theory, the PM can create the cabinet in their own image by appointing loyal MPs and getting rid of disloyal MPs. In practice, the PM does not do this
  • In the 2010 coalition, Cameron was required to have 5 Lib Dems in his cabinet. It is unlikely that constraint will be faced if this is the case e.g unlikely to overlook senior MPs as they may be rivals for the PM job. Another example is that Brown agreed not to stand vs Blair and in return, Blair would make him Chancellor.
  • May in 2016 did not appoint Gove and Osborne – perhaps a show of her authority
  • Ideological consideration must be made e.g Thatcher had one nation and some Thatcherites in her cabinet and they may not agree with some aspects of the party. May had some who supported remain and some who voted to leave her in cabinet
  • Could hire ministers from different parts of the country to have some MPs with experience and some younger rising stars.
Cabinet Reshuffles:
  • Some may get a further post but some may be dismissed. Allows PM to promote successful ministers and demote those who have underachieved.
  • Power to dismiss can backfire as it can raise questions about the PMs judgement and it may highlight policy failures e.g Thatcher got rid of Geoff Howie who was Foreign Secretary and that triggered her removal one year later.
  • Some senior ministers may thwart a PMs plan by refusing to change post e.g Brown/Darling/Ball
Authority Within The Cabinet System:
  • The PM will: Chair cabinet meetings, manage the agenda, direct cabinet meetings, create cabinet committees, hold bilateral meetings, appoints civil servants, organises the structure of government.
  • PM ensures that his/her view is the favoured view but senior ministers may provide alternate viewpoint
  • PM should give a sense of purpose, cohesion and decision
Policy-Making Input:
  • PM has license to get involved across the whole political spectrum
  • PM takes an active interest in economic and foreign policy. PM is likely to set objectives for foreign secretary and chancellor but, PM needs the backing of senior ministers.
  • E.g Thatcher played a role in the Falklands War, Blair on Iraq and Brown on the recession. 2012 coalition limited Cameron’s room for manoeuvre but he still set the overall agenda and determined responses to everyday issues e.g Syria
Party Leadership:
  • PM must be leader of the party with a working majority
  • Majority strengthens the government they because they can enact the programme they want to
  • An increase in rebel backbench MPs means a PM cannot rely on party support e.g EU ref was called for by backbenchers, Cameron listened to them.
  • Leaders are elected by MPs and party members. The length and cost of leadership make them rare. Blair and Brown both avoided going out of office by rebel MPs
Public Standing:
  • PM has a high public profile, providing leadership at home and away
  • Thatcher and Blair have a significant impact on the world stage and both had a strong relationship with POTUS
  • PM has taken on the role of communicator-in-chief for the government. Yearly appearances before the HOC Liasion Committee are a formal expression of this part in the role
  • Public satisfaction with the PM can strengthen their position.
  • A PM regarded as strong and effective has greater authority than one perceived as weak or out of touch.
  • Thatcher was polarised but at the end, she was viewed as autocratic, Blair had high ratings until the Iraq war, Cameron’s ratings fell as austerity took effect but he was more popular than the party, May’s poor performance in the 2017 General Election weakened her position.
Cabinet Ministers:
  • Cabinet is mainly ministers – 22 of them are officially paid
  • PM can invite ministers to attend cabinet meetings without them being full members. Cameron did this 10 times, May just 5 so far
  • Most cabinet members are head of a governmental department
  • No position for deputy PM with specific responsibility
Cabinet Meetings:
  • Frequency and length has reduced since the 1950s
  • Used to meet twice a week, now just once a week
  • Blair meetings were 1hr but they could just be half
  • Cameron’s were longer, he like Blair, liked to do business outside the cabinet
  • Meetings are formal with fixed seating, agenda is set in advance with relevant ministers speaking.
Cabinet Committees:
  • These include: Ministerial standing committee which is a permanent feature of office; sub-committees to a reporting standing committee; ad hock committees which are temporary to death with a particular issue; implication taskforces such as those used by Cameron and May to track policy.
  • Standing commit have considerable autogamy to determine the direction and detail of policy
  • Only when a final decision is not made will the cabinet concern themselves over it
  • Cabinet committees were given greater priority following criticism of Blair’s preference of informal meetings.
  • May has had 4 of them, Cameron also had 4
  • Agenda is determined beforehand, must be approved by the Treasury
  • Policy decisions also are seen in bilateral meetings
The Cabinet Office:
  • Cabinet secretariat regulates and co-ordinates cabinet business – calling meetings, circulating papers and preparing the agenda. Head of the civil service also attends. Acts as factillion in case is disputes
  • Under Blair, Cabinet office was given leading role in policy delivery
What Role And Powers Do The Cabinet Have:
  • Ministerial code and Cabinet manual sets out the role and function of the cabinet acting as the authoritative guide
  • Functions are: Registering and ratifying decisions taken elsewhere, discussing major issues, receiving reports on key developments of key policy, settling disputes between government departments
  • Decisions are made in bilateral meetings cabinet acts as a cleaning house for policy. If PM agrees then it is unlikely to change
  • Ministers are only bothered about there own departments so they have little time to see other policies or they lack expertise – this can curb ministers
  • Cabinet now takes fewer decisions than it did in the past, diaries of past cabinet members said ideas were discussed in detail. Blair and Thatcher avoided this, key decisions were made by a few ministers and advisers.
Discussing Or Making Decisions On Major Issues:
  • The cabinet remains the ultimate decision-making body in the government
  • The cabinet is significant/ its functions because Issues are important or sensitive, a major or unexpected development which requires a rapid decision, government departments cannot reach a decision.
  • Ministers can advise and warn the PM but the PM must ultimately make the decisions
  • Even when the cabinet does consider major issues the role if largely advisory e.g 2003 vote on the Euro Currency change but in reality, everyone was just airing the same view
  • PM may keep an issue away to minimise the chance of the view being challenged e.g Thatcher and ERM
  • Blocking discussion is counterproductive as it widens the rift between the PM and senior ministers better if the PM asks so that they’re assured they are being listened to
  • Ken Clark noted of how cabinet discussion is decreasing with every PM and time was taken on departmental reports rather than discussion
Reports On Current Issues:
  • Cabinet hears reports on currents developments allowing ministers to keep abreast of situations, they have a formal agenda with the following reports as standard: Parliamentary business, economic and home affairs, foreign affairs
  • Leaders of the Commons and Lords outline the following weeks business, this reflects the cabinet formal role in timetabling bill and ministerial statements
  • On other issues, ministers may clarify or question policy. May offer personal views or that of the department they are in charge of
  • Only small numbers of interventions usually by senior ministers
Settling Disputes:
  • If an issue cannot be settled in cabinet committee or bilateral meeting it may be referred to the cabinet
  • Some are straightforward e.g spending allocations or which department should push legislation
  • Court of appeal does not always work well e.g 1985 Westland Affair where Heseltine resigned because he was unhappy with Thatcher ruling that the cabinet would not hear his appeal

Ministerial Responsibility:
Collective Cabinet Responsibility:
  • The cabinet is a united body where ministers are part of the same party and the agreed manifesto
  • Unity is undermined by departmental and personal rivalries, fighting or their departments
  • Money and influence is hard to get whereas authority is already given so they may act as good government department ministers
The Three Elements Of Collective Cabinet Responsibility:
  • Secrecy: Ministers must keep details of discussion in the cabinet system private. Ensures that sensitive data does not get into the public domain and they prevent differences of opinion from being revealed.
  • Binding Decisions: Once a decision is reached within the cabinet, it become binding on all ministers regardless of whether they approve or oppose it. Those who are unable should resign or expect to be dismissed such as Ian Duncan Smith. The Blair and Brown government some saw ministers resign in an attempt to change the leader
  • Confidence Vote: Governments must resign if they lose a vote of no confidence. Last happened in 1979 with Callaghan after a loss in it’s bill on Scottish devolution was defeated in the Commons.
Exceptions To Collective Cabinet Responsibility:
  • Suspension: During referendums the PM can suspend CCR to prevent ministerial resignation over differences this was done in both EEC 1975 and EU 2016 in, out vote
  • Coalition: Some Lib Dem ministers were not bound by CCR because of disagreement on the bedroom tax
  • Free Votes: On some cases a free vote is allowed on a vote on conscience e.g same sex marriage
Strains On Collective Cabinet Responsibility:
  • Leaks: Ministers may leak to the media as they want dissatisfaction to be aired. Leaking can be after retirement in books e.g Ed Balls
  • Dissent And Non-Resignation: Cabinet ministers may oppose policy but won’t resign even if the concern from the minister is in the public domain. Thatcher then removed these people but once her position was secure
  • PM Dominance: Cabinet ministers under Thatcher and Blair claim that the PM undermined CCR by ignoring the cabinet e.g Clare Short complained that Blair did not consult the cabinet
What Is Individual Ministerial Responsibility:
  • The principle that ministers are responsible for their personal conduct and that of their departments
  • Long drawn distinction between ministerial accountability and individual responsibility
  • Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe stated that ministers should not resign if it is a civil servants fault
  • Ministers have a duty to be as open as possible and they must give accurate truth and information to Parliament
  • Ministers are responsible for policy but officials are responsible for day to day operational matters.

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