To What Extent Has Prime Ministerial Power Grown in Recent Years?

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The cabinet does limit the prime ministers power; the media may focus public attention solely on the prime minister and neglect the party and manifesto making the Prime minister appear to have a separate source of authority but if the prime minister loses the confidence of the media and the public the ruling party will become unwilling to accept their leadership. For example, Margret thatcher was removed in 1990 as too much of her attention was focused on keeping her party together as she was constantly stretching the powers of the office e.g. attempted to implement a policy (a local poll tax) against the cabinet’s wishes. She gained enemies in the process as she sought to control more eventually they turned on her and she was removed. Thus same constraints still apply and prime minister doesn’t necessarily have a completely separate source of authority.

Prime ministers have extensive sources of advice of their own; e.g. measures to combat crime, terrorism, etc. The PM has his own advice organisations; a policy unit, PM Private Officer Director of political strategy and political strategy unit. Blair had 78 advisors directly to him. Thus pm is becoming more presidential, Downing Street increasingly resembles the inner circle in the presidential white house. Cabinet office has shifted from serving the government to the serving the PM and concerned with developments of policy.

The importance of special leadership in the UK increasingly looks like a president’s style of leadership. This is the concept that leaders tend to distance themselves from cabinet and from its own other members thus able to independently act whilst still a part of government. John Mayor separated himself from large parts of his government because they were his political enemies he couldn’t rid of them so he governed without them. He was popular amongst the public thus being recognised even more as separate from the rest of his party.

In conclusion clearly it is evident that the prime minister has moved towards a more presidential governing style although, there are still constraints to his power and it is not completely presidential e.g. the cabinet, etc.