Explain why ‘ultimately all governments are coalitions’Officials often compare the concordant atmosphere of the coalition favourably with their experience of the last Labour government . . . This illustrates an important point: ultimately all governments are coalitions, although most are comprised of a single party. In single-party governments, differences of opinion, or of personal or tribal loyalty, are ignored or pursued covertly: in a multi-party coalition . . . there is formal acknowledgement of differences within government and a resultant need to obtain explicit approval from both partners for policies. Civil servants are understandably happier with governments which operate through cabinet and official channels.

How does Cabinet government work under the Coalition?

Learning Objectives

• To investigate how coalition governments are formed (C)

• To explain the challenges facing the coalition government (B)

• To evaluate the effects of multi-party coalition on government works in the UK (A-A*)

Independent Research

Read the two articles about the Coalition from Politics Review and The Guardian answer the following question:

• How would you characterise executive power under the Coalition? Explain your answer.

Your answer must make use of the key terms we have used in our study of the Executive and must be supported by evidence.

Executive(Prime minister &

Cabinet)

House of Commons

Personnel Accountability

The UK model of parliamentary government

ElectorateLegitimacy & Accountability

House of Lords

Supreme Court

Accountability

How does the Coalition work?

• Watch Prof. Robert Hazell and Dr. Ben Young of the UCL Constitution Unit discuss their findings on how the coalition government works.

• As you watch the interview, answer the questions on the handout in your books. Answers can be in note form; full sentences are not required.

Key questions

1) How long did it take to negotiate the initial Coalition Agreement in 2010?

2) What are the two key difficulties faced by Coalition government?

3) Where is the relationship between the Coalition partners closest and where is it furthest apart?

4) How have the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, respectively, changed their approach to Coalition government over time?

5) What legislative advantage does the Coalition government have over the previous Labour government?

6) Identify two lessons that can be learned from the experience of the Conservative-LibDem Coalition?

First, elect your leaders

The parties must (separately) elect their leaders. These leaders will get the position of Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in the new Cabinet.

Now negotiate an agreement

• Party leaders plus their advisors must form a government based on a Coalition Agreement

• Each party’s negotiating position will depend on (a) their relative number of MPs (and, to some degree, their share of the popular vote) and (b) the promises they made in their party manifestos

Cabinet positions to fill

• Chancellor• Home Secretary• Foreign Secretary

• Defence Secretary• Education Secretary• Environment

Secretary• Health Secretary

The negotiation

• Party representatives will put forward arguments for why their party should get each position in Cabinet—remembering that not all roles are of equal importance!

• The party leaders may also make legislative promises in order to secure the other party’s approval

• In the event that the parties cannot agree, I will decide which party has made the best argument

What have we learned so far?

• How will the agreements you’ve made affect your ability to govern?

Next, work out yourspending programme

• Prior to the first Cabinet meeting, each department must decide on its spending commitments.

• Each Department has £1 billion to spend on new or current initiatives.

• The minister responsible, plus his/her special adviser, has 10 minutes to create an itemised list of how they will spend the money

Turn it into a budget

• Cabinet ministers will take turns submitting their spending commitments to the Cabinet, who will decided what to approve and what to veto.

• The Prime Minister will chair the Cabinet and will try to build consensus around any changes to the budget.

• Remember – Cabinet members are all bound by national priorities, departmental priorities and party priorities.

• The Cabinet must produce a formal budget; all members will be bound to support these commitments.

Now, sell it to the public

• Each pair must design a public service advertising campaign which promotes the government’s strategy.

RESOURCES

Explain why ‘ultimately all governments are coalitions’Officials often compare the concordant atmosphere of the coalition favourably with their experience of the last Labour government . . . This illustrates an important point: ultimately all governments are coalitions, although most are comprised of a single party. In single-party governments, differences of opinion, or of personal or tribal loyalty, are ignored or pursued covertly: in a multi-party coalition . . . there is formal acknowledgement of differences within government and a resultant need to obtain explicit approval from both partners for policies. Civil servants are understandably happier with governments which operate through cabinet and official channels.

Key questions

1) How long did it take to negotiate the initial Coalition Agreement in 2010?

2) What are the two key difficulties faced by Coalition government?

3) Where is the relationship between the Coalition partners closest and where is it furthest apart?

4) How have the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, respectively, changed their approach to Coalition government over time?

5) What legislative advantage does the Coalition government have over the previous Labour government?

6) Identify two lessons that can be learned from the experience of the Conservative-LibDem Coalition?

Manifesto Promises

1) Reduce the national debt by cutting public spending by £10bn p.a.

2) Cut the top rate of income tax from 50p to £45p; also cut business taxes

3) Guaranteed funding for the NHS, coupled with a programme of reform

4) A range of environmental promises (“Vote blue, go green”)

5) A fixed cap on net immigration to the UK

Manifesto Promises

1) Reduce the amount of tax paid by the poorest while introducing a range of wealth taxes aimed at the rich

2) Scrap university tuition fees and invest £2.5bn in school improvement

3) Invest heavily in clean technology and other environmental initiatives

4) Introduce major reform of the House of Lords, making it a largely elected body

5) Introduce a system that would limit immigration to those with skills already in short demand in the UK; and provide a “route to citizenship” for those who have been in the UK for 10 years or more

ChancellorThe Chancellor of the Exchequer is responsible for Her Majesty’s Treasury. (S)He controls the UK’s finances and is responsible for the health of the economy. The Treasury is not a ‘spending’ department, but oversees and approves the budget of other departments.

Home SecretaryThe Home Secretary is responsible for the internal affairs of England and Wales, and for immigration, policing and matters of national security for the whole of the UK. The Home Secretary is responsible for the domestic Intelligence Service (MI5).

Education SecretaryThe Education Secretary is broadly responsible for schooling and child welfare in England.

Foreign Secretary The Foreign Office is responsible for relations with foreign countries. The Foreign Secretary also has responsibility for the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).

Defence SecretaryThe Ministry of Defence is responsible for the defence policy of the United Kingdom and is the governing body and resourcing agency for all three branches of the armed forces.

Environment SecretaryThe Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is broadly responsible for environmental issues, including the health of the UK’s farming sector and countryside.

Health SecretaryThe Health Secretary is responsible for the National Health Service in England, the biggest ‘spending’ department in government.