Constraints on the British Prime Minister

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  • Constraints on the British Prime Minister
    • The cabinet
      • In the build up to the invasion of Iraq, it was essential for Tony Blair that he could count upon the support of Gordon Brown, John Prescott, and Jack Straw.
    • Parliament
      • PM has to appear every Wednesday to be grilled at Question Time, defend sell their policies on contentious issues such as Iraq or tuition fees.
    • Hostility
      • A  poor performer on television will soon find that the medium is useful to charismatic politicians but a problem for the less articulate or persuasive.
      • While Tony Blair had  press support in 1997 and 2001, in 2005 war and other issues inspired hostility from sections of the Tory press.
    • Events
      • Harold Macmillan saw ‘events, dear boy, events’ as his greatest danger
      • Issues such as war in Iraq can derail or at least threaten the administration
    • Party
      • PM’s that lose backbench support may find that they cannot rely on continued consent to their leadership, as Thatcher found in 1990.
    • Electorate
      • Prime Minister must propose appealing and fair policy if they wish to be reelected in the next election

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