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The question of Mr Blair sidelining' cabinet was raised by Mo Mowlam in 2001 when she said after she resigned that "Cabinet government is dead" and "Tony's acting more like a president than a prime minister." Political commentators such as Nick Cohen have also said that the demise of the cabinet is already in effect. He describes cabinet meetings as "half an hour or less on a Thursday morning, when most of the real decisions are cut and dry before the meeting starts." Tony Blair is increasingly seen by politicians as a chief-executive' rather than the chairman of the board'. This issue was highlighted on 9 December 2004 by Lord Butler's attacks on Tony Blair. He said the Prime Minister made key decisions based on the advice of a small group of advisers. He also said "The cabinet now doesn't make decisions. There is insufficient opportunity for people to debate, dissent and modify". (10 December 2004, The
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In recent years, parliament has witnessed the rise of career politicians'. People that have aligned their education and career purely in the pursuit of becoming a member of parliament and eventually a cabinet minister. After a lifetime of working towards the positions in which they now find themselves, they would probably think twice before challenging party policy and jeopardising their career. There is certainly a strong incentive for cabinet ministers to conform to policies recommended by the Prime Minister. The benefits to the Prime Minister of having a supportive cabinet have already been highlighted. A 14.4% rise in people studying politics at university this year is an indication that the occurrence of career politicians' is set to become more common in the …show more content…
This was viewed by much of the public as a move towards a Federal Britain'. John Prescott's plans for regional assemblies would be a further move in that direction. More domestic policy decision making would be made by local government leaving central government to spend more time on foreign policy and other issues. Some think this would automatically result in a more presidential government.
Do Mr Blair's public persona and charisma rather than his political approach make him a presidential' figure? It is evident that Mr Blair values his pubic appearance highly. This was shown by the influence of his once director of communications and strategy Alistair Campbell (who won his title as "the real deputy prime minister") with whom Mr Blair placed great trust and responsibility. Perhaps his emphasis on public appearance is not misplaced. Maybe it is just a reflection of society's obsession with celebrities and personalities along with the rise of the mass media that has forced him to play the game. There is little doubt that Mr Blair's personality was a crucial factor in both of Labours recent landslide election victories. Mr Blair is often described by members of the public and sections of the media as a very charismatic individual and it is obvious that allies such as George W. Bush, who recently described Mr Blair as "a statesman and a friend", view him in a similar
In recent years, parliament has witnessed the rise of career politicians'. People that have aligned their education and career purely in the pursuit of becoming a member of parliament and eventually a cabinet minister. After a lifetime of working towards the positions in which they now find themselves, they would probably think twice before challenging party policy and jeopardising their career. There is certainly a strong incentive for cabinet ministers to conform to policies recommended by the Prime Minister. The benefits to the Prime Minister of having a supportive cabinet have already been highlighted. A 14.4% rise in people studying politics at university this year is an indication that the occurrence of career politicians' is set to become more common in the …show more content…
This was viewed by much of the public as a move towards a Federal Britain'. John Prescott's plans for regional assemblies would be a further move in that direction. More domestic policy decision making would be made by local government leaving central government to spend more time on foreign policy and other issues. Some think this would automatically result in a more presidential government.
Do Mr Blair's public persona and charisma rather than his political approach make him a presidential' figure? It is evident that Mr Blair values his pubic appearance highly. This was shown by the influence of his once director of communications and strategy Alistair Campbell (who won his title as "the real deputy prime minister") with whom Mr Blair placed great trust and responsibility. Perhaps his emphasis on public appearance is not misplaced. Maybe it is just a reflection of society's obsession with celebrities and personalities along with the rise of the mass media that has forced him to play the game. There is little doubt that Mr Blair's personality was a crucial factor in both of Labours recent landslide election victories. Mr Blair is often described by members of the public and sections of the media as a very charismatic individual and it is obvious that allies such as George W. Bush, who recently described Mr Blair as "a statesman and a friend", view him in a similar