To what extent does the Prime Minister dominate the political system in the UK?
Over time as the cabinet evolved, one minister became the monarch’s principle ally and advisor. After Sir Robert Walpole in the 1720’s they became known as the Prime Minister (PM). This comes from the Latin Primus Inter Pares, meaning first among equals. The Prime Minister evolved from a group of ministers appointed by the monarch, and used to rely largely on royal prerogative, meaning monarchical privileges are what gave the PM power. As well as that, the Pm has three sources of power. The ruling party provides support for the PM and follows their lead, while a popular mandate from the electorate gives the PM a position of power. Finally, the PM is the leader of parliament and while he has the majority of the support in the House of Commons he can claim parliamentary authority. There is no formal source that outlines all of PM’s responsibilities and they are largely defined by constitutional conventions and traditions. Now that we have the explanation as to why the PM can wield so much power, we must examine if they do so in the UK political system.
Until the 1960’s, the UK’s government would have been described as a ‘cabinet government’. Since then, the concept of cabinet government has been eroded and replaced with the notion of ‘prime ministerial government’. The cabinet can support the PM and enhance their power, as they can be compliant with passing the PM’s personal beliefs and policies. With Thatcher’s government, she populated the cabinet with her loyal supporters and she dominated the meetings. This meant that it was easy for her to pass policies that were unpopular with the public as the central policy-making body was supporting her. This happened with policies such as the poll tax, and Thatcher’s power was at its strongest when she had the backing of and influence over cabinet. The whip system can also be used to dominate the cabinet, and the use of three line whips can...