Government in UK

UK is different because govn is uniform and powerful. (Govn)Parties can force laws through. Roughly 1/3 of MP are members of government. As this is big we talk about the cabinet government, includes the heads of government departments (20ministers). It is popular to claim that the cabinet govn is from the past. Recently priministerium govern. Crossman (was a cabinet minister) noticed that the primeminister is becoming everything. Power grows because

1. primmin is also the leader of the party. Electorial preferences of parties are the images of their leaders. So he becomesa key figgure. Thatcher resigned because people started to dislike conservatives because they did not like her.

2. The nature of government is thatt is growing, getting into new matters and more deeply (ie economic and social affairs). Creates more cumbersome government policy. So there is increased need for somebody to lead, direct and control.

3. Fewer minister in the 1900 had a burden of heavy departmental repsonisbility. SO it was easier for other ministers to keep and eye on other departments. So they could develop a more informed view. No they are very busy. Ministers are now more specialised.

4. Britain fought a coule of wars and this emphasised the leadership.

5. Textbooks mention (partially reasonably) that he can choose the time of reelection and over the appointment of ministers and dismissal of them. This will increase his impact on collegues. In 1900 if you lost a cabinet position you were still a duke, but now when they are dismissed they will become yesterdays men. All the other appointments go through a priministerial path.

6. He controls the cabinet. He can rig the opposition. Everything that goes on in cabinet reaches primeminister. Cabinet only discusses and does not vote, primeminister sums it all up. All the previous work before motions are done by specialised groups appointed by the prime ministers.

Obviousle all prime ministers inherit a party view. Prime ministers could not leave critics out of the government as they are dangerous critics outside, because government has a collective responsibility (one can't go around saying the government he is in is rubbish). There is a limit of the type of summary the prime minister can make and how he can sway the decision making.

There are still many resignation (Clarke wanted to resign because of the increasing eurosceptism). It is surprising how easily the government overrides the resignations. 60 years ago the true decision making body was the cabinet, now we have to refrase it. Nowadays the things that come to the cabinet is already finnished. The earlier you come to the policy the easier it is to change it, so cabinet mostly has time to either take it or leaving it. There are occasional things they change as they are sensitive politically and say it won't go down well politically. For example the Royal Mail privatisation.