The British Prime Minister in the Core Executive

This book examines the UK prime minister's political leadership in the domestic executive. By offering a comparative study of the political leadership of James Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair with regard to European monetary policy, it challenges the thesis that British prime ministers today have more power, resources and autonomy than their predecessors, giving them a greater capacity to act. Taking key European monetary policy decisions by the British government between 1976 and 2007 as empirical cases, the book assesses the extent to which the political leadership of each prime minister was affected by the cabinet, the parliamentary party as well as the media, and the extent to which he or she was able to manage these factors. It becomes clear from this analysis that prime ministerial predominance is not as frequent as suggested, while collective leadership does not represent a return to cabinet government. Moreover, particularly theparty in government affects the prime minister's leadership by shaping his or her options on appointments (and therefore the composition of the core executive), and through its behaviour in parliament, e.g. through rebellions or the threat of them.

Auteur
Birgit Bujard is managing director of the German Society for Online Research (DGOF). Her research in political science focuses on British European policy and the relationship between Great Britain and the European Union.

Contenu
1.Prime Ministerial Political Leadership and British European Policy An Introduction 1.1.The British Prime Minister and European Policy1.2.Purpose of this Book1.3.Current Research, Methodology and Structure2.Theoretical Framework: Prime Ministerial Political Leadership in the British Political System2.1.Approaches to the Study of Political Leadership 2.2.Approaches to the Study of the British Political System2.2.1.The Westminster Model: Cabinet versus Prime Ministerial Government/Presidentialization2.2.2.The Core Executive Approach2.2.3. Martin J. Smith's Model of Prime Ministerial Power2.2.4.The Prime Ministerial Predominance Thesis 2.2.5.A Modified Model of Prime Ministerial Power3.The United Kingdom and European Monetary Policy 1976 - 2007: Exchange Rate Mechanism and Economic and Monetary Union4.European Policy-making and Coordination in Executive and Legislature 1976 - 2007 4.1.The Ministerial Level4.2.The Official Level4.3.The Parliamentary Level5.Attitudes to European Integration 5.1.Prime Ministerial Attitudes to European Integration5.2.Parliamentary Party Attitudes to European Integration5.2.1.The Labour Party5.2.2.The Conservative Party 5.3.Media Attitudes to European Integration 5.4.Public Attitudes to European Integration 6.Prime Ministerial Resources 6.1.Institutional Resources6.1.1. Right of Appointment6.1.2. Cabinet Management 6.1.3. The Prime Minister's Office 6.1.4. Two-Level Politics6.2.Individual Resources 6.2.1. Parliamentary Party Management6.2.2. Political Communication and Media Management7.Prime Minister's Office and Cabinet Office as Institutional Resources of the Prime Minister in the European (Monetary) Policy Core Executive7.1.James Callaghan7.1.1. Prime Minister's Office7.1.2. Cabinet Office 7.2.Margaret Thatcher7.2.1. Prime Minister's Office7.2.2. Cabinet Office 7.3.John Major7.3.1. Prime Minister's Office7.3.2. Cabinet Office 7.4.Tony Blair7.4.1. Prime Minister's Office7.4.2. Cabinet Office 7.5.The Prime Minister's Institutional Resources in European (Monetary) Policy8.Prime Ministerial Management of the Actors in the European Monetary Policy Core Executive 8.1.Resource of Appointment8.1.1. James Callaghan8.1.2. Margaret Thatcher8.1.3. John Major8.1.4. Tony Blair8.2.Prime Ministerial Cabinet Management and Political Decision-Making on Exchange Rate Mechanism and Economic and Monetary Union8.2.1. The Callaghan Government 8.2.2. The Thatcher Government 8.2.3. The Major Government 8.2.4. The Blair Government 8.3.Prime Ministerial Two-Level Politics in European (Monetary) Policy8.4.Actors in the European Monetary Policy Core Executive and Prime Ministerial Political Leadership 9.Prime Ministerial Management of the Parliamentary Party in European Policy 9.1.James Callaghan9.2.Margaret Thatcher9.3.John Major9.4.Tony Blair9.5.The Parliamentary Party and Prime Ministerial Political Leadership10.Prime Ministerial Political Communication and Media Management in European Monetary Policy 10.1.James Callaghan: European Council in Brussels, December 197810.2.Margaret Thatcher: European Council in Madrid, June 1989 10.3.John Major: European Council in Maastricht, December 1991 10.4.Tony Blair: National Changeover Plan, February 1999 10.5.The Media and Prime Ministerial Political Leadership11.Conclusion: Prime Ministerial Political Leadership in British European (Monetary) Policy