THE PRIME MINISTER AND

CABINET

General ElectionsThe Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 sets the elections every 5 years.Dissolution of the Parliament on 30 March 2015 Election will be held on 7 May 2015

Each parliamentary constituency of the United Kingdom elects one MP to the House of Commons using the 'first past the post' system: the highest number of votes gives the victory to the party.The party which obtains the majority of seats, is entitled to form the Government. If no single party has a majority, then there is a hung parliament. In this case, the options for forming the Government are either a coalition government or a minority government.

The Prime Minister: leader of the executive and the legislative

The head of the government, chair of the Cabinet (the Executive).

Appoints/dismisses members of the government

is responsible for allocating functions among ministers

co-ordinates the policies and activities of all government departments and the staff of the Civil Service.

informs weekly the Queen of the general business of the government

recommends a number of appointments to the Queen: high-ranking members of the Church of England, senior judges and certain civil appointments + the conferral of peerages, knighthoods, decorations and other honours

Leads the major political party and commands the majority in the House of Commons, (legislative powers)

guides the law-making process with the goal of enacting the legislative agenda of his political party

residency at 10 Downing Street

Evolution of the function

Advice given in private, in a cabinet in the sense of a small room, to the monarch, from the late 16th century by a selected groups of advisers.

Exists only by long-established convention, which stipulates that the monarch must appoint as prime minister the person most likely to command the confidence of the House of Commons; this individual is typically the leader of the political party or coalition of parties that holds the largest number of seats in that chamber.

Although the Sovereign was not stripped of the ancient prerogative powers and legally remained the head of government, politically it gradually became necessary for her to govern through a Prime Minister.

By the 1830s the Westminster system of government (or cabinet government) had emerged; the Prime Minister had become primus inter pares or the first among equals in the Cabinet.

Prior to 1902, the Prime Minister sometimes came from the House of Lords, provided that his government could form a majority in the Commons. However as the power of the aristocracy waned during the 19th century the convention developed that the Prime Minister should always sit in the lower house.

The Ministers of the Crown Act 1937 gave "statutory recognition to the existence of the position of Prime Minister but only by specifying how much he was to be paid.

Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats

He does not assume the duties and powers of the Prime Minister in the latter's absence or illness, such as the powers to seek a dissolution of parliament, appoint peers or brief the sovereign and does not automatically succeed the Prime Minister, should the latter be incapacitated or resign from the leadership of his or her political party.

9 offices since 1942

The Deputy Prime Minister

The cabinet The Cabinet is made up of the senior members of government

21 Secretaries of State from all departments (currently sixteen Conservatives and five Liberal Democrats)

Are all Members of the House of Commons or House of Lords (+ some non-party politicians)

Chancellor of the Exchequer = George Osborne

Home Secretary = Theresa May

Foreign Secretary = William Hague

First secretary of state and Leader of the House of Commons

Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

The Cabinet Secretary is the most senior civil servant in the United Kingdom. He acts as the senior policy adviser to the Prime Minister and Cabinet

The British Prime Minister has traditionally been referred to as primus inter pares, which means first among equals and demonstrates that he is a member of the collective decision-making body of the Cabinet, rather than an individual who has powers in their own right.

The SHADOW CABINET = MPs and Lords from the second largest party/Opposition

The Government

99 Ministers are chosen by the Prime Minister from the members of the House of Commons and House of Lords.

Part of 25 Ministerial Departments

Non-ministerial Departments

Executive Agencies

Cabinet Committees

In addition to the whole Cabinet meetings, a range of Cabinet committees meet in smaller groups to consider policy with other ministers who are closely involved with the relevant issue.

Focus on particular policy areas, particularly ones which cut across several ministerial responsibilities,

The Prime Minister decides who will sit on these committees

Permanent committees or set up for a short duration to look at particular issues ("ad hoc committees").

PARLIAMENTARY VS PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM

PROS AND CONS In a presidential system, the executive is independent from the

legislature (If the executive and legislature include members entirely or predominantly from different political parties, then stalemate/gridlock can occur) Faster and easier to pass legislation.

Parliamentarianism has attractive features for nations that are ethnically, racially or ideologically divided, the executive is collegial ≠ in a presidential system all executive power is concentrated in the president

The PM seldom tends to have as high importance as a ruling president, and there tends to be a higher focus on voting for a party and its political ideas than voting for an actual person.

Parliamentarianism has been praised for producing serious debates, for allowing the change in power without an election, and for allowing elections at any time ≠ more difficult to impeach the president

Thatcher and Blair:A "Presidential"

Premiership? Transformation from Cabinet Government to Prime Ministerial

Government

Strong personalities, charisma

Margaret Thatcher (1979-1991) and her « quasi-monarchical » governship, Tony Blair (1997-2007)

Fewer cabinet meetings, significant use of committees and "kitchen cabinet », PM’s own trusted advisers who may be Cabinet members but are often trusted personal advisers on their own staff with whom they take all major decisions before cabinet meetings.

Overuse of their power to hire and fire

Much involved in the initiation of policy

Their relationship with the public is central and decisive

Why a cabinet reshuffle?

A routine reshuffle normally occurs every summer.

To replace ministers who have resigned, retired or died.

To "refresh" the government, often in the face of poor polling numbers; remove poor performers; and reward supporters and punish others.

When a new prime minister enters office from the same party as the previous one, he or she might appoint a very different ministry

July 2014: biggest reshuffle

The prime minister has cleared out a dozen middle-aged and older men from his ministerial ranks in order to create a more female and less privileged top team = to make itself look more representative of society before the election.

David Cameron to promote young women to 'refresh' Cabinet

1. What are the reasons for David Cameron’s new appointments? Cameron wants to appoint young women to improve the image of the Conservative party before the

next General Election in 2015. A “minister for television” would change the party’s image, as it associated with older white males. One of the possible future appointees also appeared on a entertainment TV program.

It also seems that Cameron believes that enough time has passed and therefore he can re-appoint some MPs who had been involved in scandals.

2. Explain the terms in bold.-minister without portfolio: no specific responsibilities or a minister who does not head a particular ministry. Advises the Prime Minister Plebgate affair: “The affair concerns a 45-second encounter between Andrew Mitchell and police officers at the gates of Downing Street. Allegations that Conservative chief whip called some police officers plebs during a row in Downing Street cost him his government job. But the scandal has since embroiled the police in accusations that they have not been sufficiently robust in disciplining officers accused of trying to discredit the MP as part of a campaign to "toxify" his party.”-in-out referendum: UK referendum on whether the UK should stay in the EU or leave the union (to take place in 2017 if the Conservatives are re-elected)-leadership bid: an attempt to become the leader of the party-security clearance: Eligibility for access to classified information 3. What does this reshuffle reveal about the future of the UK’s political landscape?- political strategies to attract voters.- Conservatives’ lack of confidence in the election? The end of bi-partisanship?- Labour more chances to win? ≠ Ed Miliband’s leadership crisis- UKIP came first in the European elections- Liberal Democrats