Executive
Chief source of political leadership
Controls policy process – governs
Impact the public
Extends from PM to enforcement agencies: police and military
Includes both ministers and civil service
Political executive: minister; take overall responsibility for the direction
and co-ordination of policy
Official executive: bureaucracy (administrative machinery of govt);
provide advice and implement policy
Structure and Roles of PM, Cabinet and Civil Service
PM
Conditions to be PM
MPs:
- By convention, they must be elected
Party leader:
- PM appointed as a result of being elected as leader,
Eg. Gordon Brown 2007
- Removed when they lost leadership
Eg. Thatcher 1990
- Very unusual; Major resigned as party leader to precipitate a leadership
election, without standing down as PM
Party must have majority control of the Commons:
- Come to power through winning the general election
Eg. Blair 1997
- Leave office from election defeats
Eg. Major 1997
- Rare ‘hung’ parliament
Eg. 2010, Queen asked Cameron, leader of the largest party to form a govt,
based on a deal with Lib Dems
Chief source of political leadership
Controls policy process – governs
Impact the public
Extends from PM to enforcement agencies: police and military
Includes both ministers and civil service
Political executive: minister; take overall responsibility for the direction
and co-ordination of policy
Official executive: bureaucracy (administrative machinery of govt);
provide advice and implement policy
Structure and Roles of PM, Cabinet and Civil Service
PM
Conditions to be PM
MPs:
- By convention, they must be elected
Party leader:
- PM appointed as a result of being elected as leader,
Eg. Gordon Brown 2007
- Removed when they lost leadership
Eg. Thatcher 1990
- Very unusual; Major resigned as party leader to precipitate a leadership
election, without standing down as PM
Party must have majority control of the Commons:
- Come to power through winning the general election
Eg. Blair 1997
- Leave office from election defeats
Eg. Major 1997
- Rare ‘hung’ parliament
Eg. 2010, Queen asked Cameron, leader of the largest party to form a govt,
based on a deal with Lib Dems
