Title page
Contents
Summary 7
1. History of the office of Prime Minister 8
2. The appointment of a Prime Minister 15
2.1. The decision 15
2.2. The logistics 17
2.3. The resignation and appointment 18
2.4. The departure 20
2.5. Prime Minister's pre-election functions 20
2.6. Can a Prime Minister be dismissed? 21
2.7. How can a Prime Minister be removed? 21
2.8. Death or incapacity of a Prime Minister while in office 22
2.9. Prime Ministers holding another office 24
3. Prime Minister's functions 25
3.1. Constitutional and procedural 25
3.2. Managing the relationship between the government and the monarch 26
3.3. Managing the relationship between government and opposition 28
3.4. Managing intergovernmental relations 29
3.5. Establishing Cabinet order of precedence 30
3.6. Interpretation and content of the Ministerial Code and Cabinet Manual 31
3.7. Oversight of the Civil Service Code 34
3.8. Ministerial override on disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 35
3.9. Requesting a dissolution of Parliament 35
3.10. Authorising coalition negotiations 37
3.11. Managing intra-coalition relationships 38
4. Appointments 39
4.1. Appointment and dismissal of ministers 39
4.2. Security Services 41
4.3. Civil Service 41
4.4. Ecclesiastical 42
4.5. Residual academic 44
4.6. Public sector and regulators 44
4.7. Inquiries and Royal Commissions 45
4.8. Party-political honours 46
4.9. House of Lords 47
5. Conduct of Cabinet and parliamentary business 49
5.1. Calling meetings of Cabinet and its committees 49
5.2. Calling "Political Cabinets" 51
5.3. Collective Cabinet responsibility 51
5.4. Authorising absence from the Cabinet or country 52
5.5. Responsibility for legislative programme 53
5.6. Prime Minister's Questions 54
5.7. House of Commons Liaison Committee 56
6. Policy strategy and communications 57
6.1. Overall political strategy 57
6.2. Government communications 58
6.3. Special overarching policies 59
7. Organisational and efficiency questions 62
7.1. Organisation and staffing 62
7.2. Size of Cabinet and workload 63
7.3. Machinery of government 64
8. Budget and market sensitive decisions 65
8.1. The Budget 65
8.2. Interest rates 66
8.3. Pay review bodies 67
9. National Security 68
9.1. Chairing the National Security Council 68
9.2. Oversight of National Security Strategy 69
9.3. Oversight of counter-terrorist policies and arrangements 70
9.4. Overall efficiency of the Secret Services 70
9.5. Preparation of the "War Book" 72
9.6. Contingency planning 72
9.7. Deployment of the Armed Forces 73
9.8. Use of treaty prerogatives 74
10. Special personal responsibilities 76
10.1. Representing the UK internationally 76
10.2. Maintenance of relations with the United States 77
10.3. Decision to shoot down aircraft 79
10.4. Authorising use of UK nuclear weapons 79
11. Other aspects of the Prime Minister 81
11.1. Official residences 81
11.2. Salary and pension 84
11.3. Public Duty Costs Allowance 86
11.4. Transport 87
11.5. Security 88
11.6. Prime Ministerial gifts 88
11.7. Prime Ministers returning to government 88
11.8. Prime Ministerial memoirs 89
11.9. Honours for former Prime Ministe 90
11.10. Resignation honours 91
11.11. Prime Minister's spouse 92
12. Proposals for reform 93
12.1. Prime Minister's Department 93
12.2. Crown Prerogatives (Parliamentary Control) Bill 93
12.3. Political and Constitutional Reform Committee 94
12.4. Anthony Seldon 94
12.5. Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee 95
12.6. Independent Review of Governance and Accountability in the Civil Service 95
12.7. Commission on the Centre of Government 96
13. Statutory and prerogative functions 98
14. Further information about Prime Ministers 101
Table 1. Prime Ministerial broadcasts 60
Table 2. Prime Minister's statutory functions 98
Table 3. Prime Minister's prerogative functions 100