(1) Who has power in the executive

(1) Who has power in the executive

1. What is the executive (usually referred to as the government)?

   • Refers to those who form the centre of government
   • The PM and Cabinet are the main institutions within the ‘core’ executive – their relative importance forms an important debate within the module
   • Network of key institutions and people
   • Also includes junior ministers & civil servants including members of the cabinet office
   • All in a “power network” within Westminster
   • Power is fluid and can move between individuals at different times
   • Chief source of political leadership – PM directs government policy & defines strategic goals from within core executive

2. Cabinet

   • Consists of the leading members of the government, chosen by the PM. Major decisions are made or ratified, and where disagreements within government are resolved.

3. Cabinet government

   • view that collective government survives and PM is not the dominant force within government. Decisions taken by a group after discussions in Cabinet according to this view.

4. Models of power

   • The prime Ministerial government - thesis suggest that the PM is the dominant - Foley
   • The Cabinet government model - suggests that the cabinet is still an important constraint on the PM - Jones
   • In more recent years, the executive model has suggested that relationship between actors are characterised as dependent

5. The Cabinet role and functions

   • Committee
   • Leading members of government
   • 20-23 members
   • MPs or peers
   • Most secretaries of state – responsible for running Whitehall departments
   • Deputy PM, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary seen as the key posts
   • Key ministers may meet as an “inner circle” – known as a “kitchen cabinet”
     • “kitchen cabinet” meanes - a loose, informal group of policy advisors consulted by the prime minister outside the formal cabinet, including senior ministers, officials and special advisors

6. Collective Responsibility

   • Cabinet and cabinet committee members are permitted to express their views and disagree with each other up until the point at which a formal decision is made
   • After this point all ministers must publicly endorse the decision or policy and keep any doubts private
   • It’s function is to maintain an image of unity, and stop ministers publicly blaming each other for failed policies
   • Resignations – Robin Cook and Clare Short over the decision to send troops to Iraq in 2003

7. Role of the cabinet in theory and practice

   • THEORY
     • in constitutional theory the cabinet is the top body in the UK executive
     • it is the highest decision making forum
   • There is a CONVENTION of collective ministerial responsibility
   • PRACTICE
     • it is largely believed that the PM is now more individually powerful
     • could all major government decisions be discussed in cabinet meetings once a week, lasting less than 2 hours?

8. Role of Cabin perform

   • Formal policy approval
     • Decisions approved by cabinet to become official government policy. However, PM’s may make decisions separately.
     • E.g. Blair made decision in May 1997 to grant independence to the Bank of England to set interest rates, and consulted only with Brown
   • Policy coordination
     • Key role of modern cabinet
     • Cabinet ensures ministers know what is going on in other departments
     • Stops ministers becoming too “departmentalised” and see the bigger picture
     • Helps “join up” government
   • Resolves disputes
     • Most differences between ministers and departments are resolved at a lower level BUT it is a final court of appeal for disputes
   • Forum for debate
     • Can be used by PM and ministers as a sounding board for issues
     • BUT there is limited in time for this
   • Party management
     • In making decisions it takes account of the views of the parliamentary party
     • The chief whip is a cabinet member