1) What are the powers of the prime Minister?

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  1. What are the powers of the prime Minister?

Introduction

The first Prime Minister in Britain was Robert Walpole in 1729.  How he came to be Prime Minister was due to King George It’s and II’s lack of interest in politics.  As these two were the first Hanoverian Kings they were not very interested in British Politics due to not actually wanting to be In England. As a result of their lack of interest, they kept on passing more and more political power to the first ministers to relive them of their duties.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                At the time there were a group of unified MP’s and peers which formed a party called the Whigs and they supported the minister which best suited their political interests. Walpole was one of the ministers the Whigs supported, and after taking his main rivals place due to a no confidence resignation he created the rough outline of today’s modern prime minister.  With the new and old responsibilities combined together, Walpole had accumulated a wide range of powers whilst at the same time supported by a party, very similar to today’s Prime Ministers. (Neil McNoughton, 1999: 4)

In his book “The Prime Minister and Cabinet Government”, Neil McNoughton (1999) summarises:

“The Prime Minister combines five essential characteristics just as Walpole did, though on a greater scale.  The Prime Minister:

  1. Exercises a number of powers delegated to him or her by the Monarch.  These are known as prerogative powers.
  2. Largely determines the composition of the Cabinet
  3. Is able to lead and maintain a unified Cabinet which can present a coherent programme and a confident face to Parliament.
  4. Must be able to demonstrate that he or she commands the support of a majority in parliament (nowadays specifically the House of Commons).
  5. Has sufficient political authority and ability to become chief policy-maker across the whole range of government business.” (p. 4-5)

The formal powers of the prime Minister today are the prerogative powers which have been passed to him or her throughout history.  The main formal powers of the prime minister are electing the member of the cabinet, the power of dissolution, the power of patronage, the power to chose when elections shall be held, commander-in-chief of the armed forces and Firs Lord of Treasury. (Neil McNoughton, 1999: 55-61, Anthony King, 1963: 168-176)  

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The Power to elect cabinet

“The Cabinet Office supports the Prime Minister in ensuring that the government delivers its priorities, particularly in relation to health, education, transport, crime and asylum policies” (http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page1484.asp).  The Power to elect cabinet can be described as having the power to pick the executive committee of the government.  There are certain fixed principles in this power.  The Prime Minister on his own hires or sacks a minister and can switch them from one department to the other if they agree.  The agenda of the cabinet is also another fixed principle which the Prime Minister has ...

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