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THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, significance: PMs seek to prioritise…

- - - - PMs like Gordon Brown who came into office midterm and did not obtain this mandate arguably weakens their position and control
- - - - 'joined up govt' - a policy to make diff depts in the same govt work together
    - - national security council
        
        main forum for discussion and consideration of govt objectives for national security. looks strategically at issue but is a different body to Cobra
      - european union exit and trade committee
        
        oversees the uk's exit negotiations with the eu
      - social reform
        
        oversees and agrees social policy reforms, e.g. the introduction of universal credit and ways to improve social policy
- - - - examples:
        
        most enter no.10 with a clear policy agenda
        
        Tony Blair + constitutional change
        
        David Cameron + 'Big Society'
    - - examples:
        
        will normally discuss and debate policy initiatives and 'rubber stamp' them
        
        where disagreements occur - e.g. over spending priorities - they are most likely to get resolved in cabinet meetings
        
        significance:
        
        if party is divided or a policy is controversial or the PM is seen as relatively weak the debates can be considerable
        
        finer details from 2017 onwards in brexit detail was organised and debated in cabinet
    - - examples:
        
        offer advice + guidance to govt ministers which is crucial in delivery of policy - e.g. National Citizen Service
        
        influence ministers by 'speaking truth into power'
        
        significance:
        
        as permanent, non-party political, their advice should be unbiased and objective
        
        should offer advice on implementation, legality, cost implications and other practicalities
        
        provide great experience across political spectrum
        
        increasingly share responsibility for providing policy advice with special advisers
    - - examples:
        
        party political figures hand picked by PMs
        
        temporary civil servants not required to offer balanced advice
        
        normally replaced under different PMs
        
        88 special advisers in post in Dec 2017 (compared to 423,000 civil servants in total)
        
        significance:
        
        have assumed increasing prominence in recent years - e.g. Alastair Campbell (Blair), Nick Timothy (Theresa May)
        
        frequently seen to have played a major part in policy formation - e.g. May's original pledge to reintroduce some grammar schools
        
        often come up with 'big vision' initiatives - e.g. Steve Hilton (Cameron's special adviser) was largely the one who came up with 'Big Society'
  - - - although a minority/coalition govt would have to work with other parties.
        
        e.g. May and DUP agreeing upon additional funding for N. Ireland.
  - - - PMs who did not operate in this manner - e.g. Blair and Thatcher - could easily find themselves isolated and vulnerable.
- - - - Priti Patel was sacked by May in 2017 for breaking ministerial code by not being honest about secret meetings with Israeli ministers and business people whilst on holiday in Israel.
- - - - left Cameron's cabinet over planned cuts to disability benefits, which he described as a 'compromise too far'.
        
        he felt unable on principle to support such a policy.
- - - - opposition was especially strong in Labour areas, such as South Yorkshire, who were already alienated by the 1984-85 miners' strike and pit closures.
    - - the tax was scrapped and replaced with the council tax shortly afterwards.
  - - - Bush persuaded Blair to support the pre-emptive invasion of Iraq to destroy these weapons and remove Hussein.
        
        Blair had received support of the commons to go to war alongside the US by a vote of 412 to 149 in 2003.
        
        around 25% of Labour MPs rebelled against their leadership with Robin Cook - a cabinet minister - resigning.
    - - it is thought to have hastened his resignation in 2007.
- - - - in 2018 the NAO produced a report highlighting a £2.9bn shortfall in the programme to renew the Trident nuclear submarine fleet.
    - - especially true if their majority is small or the PM is already facing a high level of criticism from within their party.