| Where does the PM get his Power from? | -Patronage
-Royal Prerogative
-Parliamentary Majority
-Party Support
-Personal Mandate |
| What is Patronage? | -This is the Power of Appointing and Dismissing. When it refers to the PM, it can create Loyalty as those who are Promoted are usually Allies of the PM. Gives the PM in that respect
-The PM can Appoint/Dismiss Junior and Senior Ministers. Members of Cabinet owe their Promotion to the Prime Minister and Bound by CRM
-PM has his say in other Public Appointments - ie Senior Civil Servants |
| What is a Payroll Vote? | -Senior and Junior Ministers, having being Promoted by the PM, can be Relied upon to Vote for Government Legislation |
| What are the Advantages of the Patronage for the PM? | -The PM can shape the Ideological Shift of Cabinet. (Thatcher with the 'Dries')
-The PM can reward those Loyal to them. (Johnson promoted those supporting his Leadership Campaign like Rishi Sunak and sacked those who Questioned him ie Julian Smith)
-The PM can promote Younger MPs to Promote Diversity and Representation. (May promoted Younger Women, such as Amber Rudd to Home Secretary) |
| What factors may arise from the PM using Patronage? | -PM has to Satisfy the Various Factions in the Political Party (Thatcher at the Start appointed 'Wets' who disagreed with her New Right)
-Safer to have Possible Rivals as the CRM shuts them up (Cameron and May felt good having Johnson in Cabinet rather than a Backbench MP)
-Type of Government affects Patronage (Coalition makes the PM promote MPs from the Partner - Cameron with 5 Lib Dems to Cabinet. Small Majority / Hung, May promoted 'Brexteers such as David Davis to Senior Posts)
-Ministers may Refuse taking up a Job (May in January unsuccessfully reshuffled the Cabinet in 2018 because Jeremy Hunt refused to move from Health Secretary) |
| What is the Royal Prerogative? | -Unwritten Power that was given to the PM from the Monarch. This includes the Patronage Power, as well as being Commander in Chief and Negotiating Foreign Treaties |
| Examine what the Royal Prerogative allows the PM to do, and the Limits t faces | -PM is Considered to be the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces (May bombed Syria in 2018 without a Vote in the HofC) but yet the PM when making Major Military Intervention needs 'advice and with the sanction of Parliament' (Parliament voting on the Iraq War set a Precedent that Parliament had the Final Say.)
-PM is the Chief Diplomat as they can Sign Treaties and Enter into Negotiation with other Nations. (After 2016, Successive PMs took the Lead to Negotiate a Post Brexit Deal) but Treaties that Parliament has Approved can only be undone by Parliament - solidified by the UKSC because of Brexit |
| Name the PMs that had enjoyed Majority in the Commons, and how it had helped them. | -1997 and 2001: Blair had never seen a Single Common's Defeat from 1997-2005. Almost a Decade!
-2015: Conservatives able to pass Laws that they couldn't during the Coalition Years because of the Majority they had. This legislation led to the Referendum in 2016
-2019: The 80 Seat Majority allowed Johnson to get Brexit Done by January 2020 |
| Name the PMs that did not enjoy Majority in the Commons, and how it affected them. | -Blair's Majority Halving at 2005 led to his First Defeat in 2006 on Proposals to Detaining Terror Suspects for 90 Days
-2015: Tories still had seen defeats ie Loosening Sunday Trading Laws in 2016 March
-May after 2017 did not get a Majority and failed to get Brexit Delivered. This led to the Heaviest Defeat when MPs rejected the Brexit Bill by 230 Votes in January 2019 |
| How can PM install Party Support? | -Using Party Whips to have Discipline and Remove the Whip for Disloyal MPs is a Way
-Promotion using Patronage is another way
-Support Backbench Legislation and Policies |
| Name when the PM had Party Support and how it had helped them | -After the 1983 and 1987 Elections, Conservatives united over Thatcher's Privatisation Efforts
-Even though Gordon Brown was quite Unpopular, no Labour MP made a substantial Attempt to hold a Leadership Attempt
-Despite the Remain/Leave Divide in the Conservatives, only Ken Clarke had voted Against Article 50 (How the UK leaves the EU)
-Johnson had removed the Whip for several Remaining Support MPs, and by 2019, had them replaced by Pro-Brexit Candidates. No Conservative MPs voted Against the EU Withdrawal Agreement Act 2020 |
| Name when the PM did not have Party Support and how it affected them | -Thatcher resigned in November 1990 following Splits over Europe and the Poll Tax. The Leadership Contest, happening before the Resignation, had signalled a Lack of Support from Backbench Tory MPs.
-Brown still had little - no MPs defend him
-May said she would Step Down as PM after Brexit was Complete. This was the Price paid for Surviving a Motion of No Confidence in 2018 December
-Johnson Conservatives had divides over the Government Size. Neo-Liberals wanted no Spending and One Nation Conservatives won from 2019 wanting Public Investment |
| What is a Personal Mandate? | -The PM Individual Authority to steep Policy Direction of Government due to their Popularity, Electoral Victories and Personal Characteristics |
| What can a Personal Mandate do for the PM? | -Boost their Authority to Dominate Parliament and Government
-After a Victory in the General Election, they claim Authority to introduce Polices most Deep in their Hearts or Force reforms through. |
| Name the PMs that had a Personal Mandate | -Tony Blair Approval Rating pre-Iraq gave him Great Authority in Parliament to get Controversial Public Sector Reforms that had been opposed by Many in his own Party
-David Cameron had polled more Favourably than his Party so he could push Policies like the Big Society Programme and the National Citizen Service that he cared most about |
| Name the PMs that Lacked a Personal Mandate | -Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair with no Leadership Contest or General Election. Legitimacy was low for him
-May was seen of Lacking Empathy for not meeting with Victims of the Grenfell Tower after its Fire in June 2017.
-Rishi Sunak, loosing the Leadership Contest still became PM - lack of Legitimacy greater than Brown |
