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Flashcards in Unit 7 Deck (44)
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1
Q

What are the 5 responsibilities of government?

A

Economic responsibility

Organising the country’s defence.

Preserving law and order

Organising services of the state, eg the police

2
Q

What reveals that the PM can’t sign off constitutional changes following a public referendum?

A

R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (2016)

3
Q

Name 4 PM powers:

A

Appointment and dismissal of all cabinet ministers.

Negotiation of foreign and trade treaties.

Setting tone of economic policy alongside the Chancellor.

Control of troops once committed.

4
Q

What event reveals that PM has to seek approval of Parliament (convention) before committing troops abroad?

A

2013 airstrikes

5
Q

What’s a good quote about Thatcher?

A

Peter Hennessy - ‘The Prime Ministers’ - she “was not going to have faint hearts in the cabinet stopping her”.

6
Q

Why did even Blair/Thatcher find it useful to pull cabinet together?

A

1982 Falklands War + for joining US-led invasion of Iraq (2003)

7
Q

Who was the Chancellor + Deputy that showed political instability of Thatcher?

A

Nigel Lawson

Sir Geoffrey Howe

8
Q

Results of the 1990 leadership election?

A

Thatcher got a majority of the vote, but needed 56 votes ahead of Hessletine to avoid another general election…could not achieve this.

9
Q

How many seats did Blair lose in 2005?

When was the bombings?

A

47 seats

July 2005

10
Q

When did Charles Clarke get sacked?

A

2006

11
Q

What did Tracey Crouvh say about collective ministerial responsibility?

A

“It is a fact of Government that ministers must adhere to collective responsibility…”:

From her resignation letter, late 2018

12
Q

When did Amber Rudd resign as Home Secretary?

A

Spring 2018

13
Q

Who were the windrush generation? How had they been treated by government?

A

They were African-Carribeans who came to Britain after WW2. Government wrongfully threatened them with deportation.

14
Q

On what two occasions were collective responsibility suspended / partially suspended?

A

2010-2015 coalition government

2016 EU Referendun

15
Q

What happened to collective cabinet responsibility in 2010-15?

2016

A

Partially suspended. Lib Dems could disagree with Tories over trident.

2016 - suspended as ministers could disagree with The gov line of remain.

16
Q

When did Boris Johnson resign as foreign secretary?

A

Summer 2018

17
Q

When did Michael Fallon and Damian Green resign? Why?

A

2017.

Fallon = sexual harassment allegations.

Damian Green = porn on work computer.

18
Q

Give an example of something being presented to cabinet as a ‘fait accompli’ while Blair was PM.

A

Decisions regarding the construction of the Millennium Dome. Construction began in 1997.

19
Q

When did May replace Cameron?

A

July 2016

20
Q

What is an example of a PM’s agenda being passed through Parliament?

A

The Iraq War

21
Q

When did John Major resign as party leader (but not PM)?

A

1995

22
Q

How many votes are required to trigger a leadership contest?

A

15% of Tory MPs in the 1922 committee

23
Q

What kind of gov pre 1960s? What did this involve?

1960s-2010s?

A

Cabinet government. PM seen merely as the ‘first among equals’ with the requirement to keep cabinet appeased.

Prime Ministerial government. PM expected to dominate. ‘Sofa politics’ the norm (policy determined by informal meetings with private advisors and presented to cabinet as a fait accompli).

24
Q

What is the kind of gov 2010-now? What does this involve?

A

‘Strong cabinet’. PM working hard to appease different factions to cling onto a majority in the HOC.

Using patronage (promotion and plenty of discussion).

25
Q

Give an example of a PM being coerced by cabinet.

A

Cameron conceding to suspending collective responsibility for campaigning during the EU referendum.

26
Q

When was the Coalition Agreement publicised?

A

2010

27
Q

How many Tory ministers were there during the coalition under the Agreement? How many Lib Dem?

A

Tory = 22

Lib Dem = 5

28
Q

How many special advisers did Blair assemble?

By 2004, how many staff were there in the PM’s office compared to Major?

A

27 advisers

PM’s office had 190 staff by 2004 (compared to 130 under Major).

29
Q

When was the Iraq War vote held? What was the outcome?

A

March 2003 - 412-149 votes to authorise.

29
Q

When was Eden PM from?

A

1955-1957

30
Q

When did Butler threaten to resign? Over what?

A
  1. Over Chancellor Macmillan’s plans to reverse the 6d cut in income tax.
31
Q

When was the Suez Crisis? How much of Western Europe’s oil passed through the canal?

A

Late 1956. 80%

32
Q

What is power? What is authority?

A

Power = the ability to influence others.

Authority = the legal and formal right
to give orders and commands.

33
Q

How does the PM get authority by party? Parliament?

A

Party = comes from the people through the leading party. But, sometimes gets authority other ways, eg TM becoming PM in June 2016.

Parliament = each new Parliament recognises PM’s authority. Can only dismiss through no confidence.

34
Q

How does the PM get power via party? Parliament? Collective cabinet responsibility?

A

Party leader allows the PM to lead policy making, as long as they can carry the party with them.

PM gets power through having agenda passed through Parliament, eg Iraq War.

CCR: PM’s power enhanced by threat of compulsory resignation / firing if ministers disagree.

35
Q

How can cabinet get rid of a PM?

How can Tory MPs get rid of a PM?

A

Can drive them out, eg Blair July 2005.

MPs = vote of no confidence in PM via 1922 committee - triggered by 15% of MPs.

37
Q

What are the powers of cabinet?

A

They legitimise and interpret policy.

They decide which policies come first and which can wait.

They can coerce a PM into abandoning the direction they’re on, eg concession of collective responsibility in 2016.

38
Q

Give 3 reasons for how a PM is like the President.

A

Yes, is like a president: can pass stuff easily if have a majority, like exec orders - 412-149 March 2003 Iraq vote.

Acts as defacto was of state, as they negotiate treaties…1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Not THAT much fusion…FOBT delays opposed by Tory MPs.

39
Q

Give 4 ways in which Cameron was able to make the coalition government work.

A

Promised a referendum on changing FPTP to AV.

Under the Coalition Agreement in 2010, 22 Tory ministers, 5 lib dem.

Could disagree on Treudent under CCR.

Cameron had ‘the Quad’ - an inner cabinet of the chancellor George Osborne, Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander (Osborne’s deputy).

40
Q

Give 3 reasons why PM is not like a President.

A

Fusion - Cameron = MP for Witney, May = MP for Maidenhead.

Not actually the head of state.

Committal of troops subject to convention, eg Syria 2013 example…in the Summer Cameron not allowed to bomb.

41
Q

What reveals Eden having control over cabinet?

A

Made Iain MacLeod minister of Labour (used to be Health) in 1955 reshuffle. Deliberately given the job as he thought MacLeod would gain valuable experience in interacting with trade unions…moulding ministers here.

42
Q

Why did Eden stop trying to seize the Suez Canal from Egyptian control in 1956?

A

President Eisenhower adopted a more anti imperialist stance in his campaign - this perceived danger to the pound sterling forced Eden to back down.

43
Q

When did Blair intervene in Kosovo? Sierra Leone?

A

1999;2000

47
Q

When was Butler chancellor? Where do mocking witticisms of Eden surface?

A

1951-55 - in the Manchester Guardian.