ELTE, AME-121, The Executive in the UK, notes

ELTE, AME-121, The Executive in the UK, notes
by UNKNOWN author


Executive
In Britain the executive is not a separate branch (legislative-executive are cross-connected), in the US there is a firewall between the individual parts of the govt.
Core Executive – the most important organs of the executive branch: The Prime Minister and it’s office; Cabinet; cabinet office
The Prime Minister – Originally a nickname for Robert Walpole. He was nicknamed the "prime" minister and the name stuck on him, and the executive.
There are PM’s who stretched the constitution, and there are some who not (US – activist/not so active presidents) > personalities do count
Strong personality prez’s – Tony Blair, Margaret Thatcher (not active ones are James Callahan, Edward Heath)
Several different functions of the PM
- Patronage: He/She points a number of people into top govt. Offices – 1/4 of the party members receive a relevant position. PM punishes and rewards members of the party with giving or taking positions. There were ones who did this and there were some who really didn’t.
- Setting the agenda for the govt.: If he/she decides that a political issue is prior to others, then it is moved to the top of the agenda. Eg. Margaret Thatcher (from 1979) thought that the conservative-labour parties’ differences faded > she wanted to make a stamp on conservative issues – reprivatisation, nationalization, she sold the committee (?) etc. She had a strong liberal economic program and she put it through. Tony Blair gave social ownership to industries (??) > a new labour party was born, they stopped wanting to create communism.
- Issues cabinet meetings – they are not as important as they should be. 1,5 hours Thursday morning (or in times of emergency), but mostly the things to decide have been already decided by the cabinet office
- Cabinet is made by prez
- Responsible for the operation and work of the civil service. Civil servants work under anonymity, they don’t discuss matters in public (they are not allowed to debate things in public either). Once a decision is take, the head of that dept. Takes responsibility for the decision. The head of the pyramid is PM, takes responsibility for all civil service. In the UK it is debated whether they should be able to go out of anonymity.
- Within five years, has a right to organise elections. Thatcher never waited for five years but when the best chance came, she organised the elections and won.
- PM is the national leader. He represents the whole nation, especially in the time of emergency. The principle: you can have a labour or conservative domestic (?) policy, but if you go abroad you are British or American, representative of the whole nation and not just one policy.
- Question times are held every day before the parliament is started (M.T. 7000 questions, usually 800-1000 per year), you can ask the PM. One has to be prepared for that so you have to give the question 48 hours to prepare. People go in a big room and PM chooses one, who asks the question (or says it’s number). Then he/she can state a follow-up question for which there is no preparation so you have to know what you’re talking about.
- Buildings:
* 10 Downing Street. Downing street was open to public, but it’s closed because of the IRA.
* 11 Downing Street. Valami fontos ember. ?
* 11 Downing Street (commonly known as Number 11), is the official residence of the Second Lord of the Treasury, who in modern times has always been the British Chancellor of the Exchequer.
* The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the ancient title held by the British cabinet minister whose responsibilities are akin to the posts of Minister for Finance or Secretary of the Treasury in other jurisdictions.
- Offices:
* PM’s