Power in the central executive territory

Questions about the Prime Minister and Cabinet are always popular. So for students looking to distinguish themselves and move into the top end of the mark scheme, recent examples are a must. I have written previously about the lack of illustration relating to the Brown era in exam answers, and where issues such as the three attempted coups or the frosty relations between Brown and Darling were used, students were invariably well rewarded. So looking ahead, examples from the Cameron government would also impress.

There is a good article about the negotiations being held which will lead up to the spending review announcement next week. I include some questions to go with it to highlight the main points.

The article in today’s Guardian is here.

Questions for discussion:

How significant a role has Danny Alexander played in the decisions about cutting public spending? What, if anything, does this say about the nature of decision making within the coalition government?

Who are the senior figures within the Con-Lib government? What evidence is there that these key figures wield more power than other Cabinet ministers?

Where will ministers who don’t comply with the cuts have to go for further discussion? Does this suggest that full Cabinet is no longer the forum for making major decisions?