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Unit 7: Constitutional Structure: Executive

• The Prime Minister is invariably accorded emergency powers, but these are limited in duration; Notes
still more, they are conditional on his maintaining parliamentary confidence, such as a coalition
tends to ensure.
• If the Cabinet is the most important institution of the English constitutional system, the Prime
Minister by virtue of being its leader is the most powerful officer. He is the real head of the
government, while the monarch above him is the titular head of the state.
• Historical information reveals that for the first time in 1878 the title of the Prime Minister made
appearance in a public document when Lord Beaconsfield signed the Treaty of Berlin.
• The Prime Minister is appointed by the monarch. Invitation to form the government implies his
appointment. Convention requires that the monarch must choose the leader of the majority
party in the House of Commons who can run the government with a comfortable majority
behind him.
• In case a Prime Minister dies or resigns and the issue of appointing his successor comes up, the
monarch may either consult its top-ranking leader before making up his mind, or may ask the
party concerned to apprise him of its decision in this regard. For instance, after the resignation
of Sir Anthony Eden in 1956, the Queen invited Macmillan to form the government on the
advice of Sir Winston Churchill; likewise she invited Douglas-Home in 1963 on the advice of
the outgoing Prime Minister.
• Soon after his appointment, the Prime Minister makes the list of his ministers specifying their
portfolios. In this direction, he is caught up by some strong considerations which are of a political
as well as personal nature. He has to include the names of his most loyal friends who constitute
his ‘inner cabinet’; then he takes those important men of his party who are the leaders of various
groups and without their support it may not be possible for him to maintain unity and solidarity
in the ranks of the party; then, the aspect of merit and competence has its own part and the
Prime Minister pays due attention to the long experience and efficiency of his colleagues who
would keep his government running well.
• If the Prime Minister is the maker of his government, he is also its unmaker. He may change the
portfolios of his ministers and drop any offending colleague just by the hint of his displeasure.
It has almost become like a theoretical proposition that the ministers act during the pleasure of
the Parliament and the sovereign: the actual position is that they continue in office during the
pleasure of the Prime Minister. This reason prompts Laski to say that the Prime Minister is
‘central to the life and death of his ministers.’
• When elections take place, the personality of the leader counts above all and a victory of the
leadership is a reward given to him in the form of, what is called, the mandate of the people.
• The Prime Minister is the dispenser of great offices. Apart from ministerial assignments, many
other high officials like ambassadors, Lord Chancellor, Justices, Chairmen and members of the
statutory commissions etc. are appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the Prime
Minister.
• The Prime Minister acts as the general supervisor of government and co-ordinator of various
departments. He sees to it that there is no rift among his ministers and if a matter comes up, he
sees that it is amicably settled.
• The Prime Minister is the link between the Parliament and the ministers. He is the leader of the
House of Commons though sometimes he may transmit some of his powers to his most trusted
deputy
• The Prime Minister performs many important function in the international sphere. Either
personally or through his nominees he attends conferences of the Commonwealth of Nations
and the United Nations. The presence of the British Prime Minister or his nominee at international
gatherings is seen with special significance.
• The most powerful and spectacular office in the American constitutional system is occupied by the
‘Chief Executive’ called the President. A close look at the potentialities of his great office confirms
the view that he exercises ‘largest amount of authority ever wielded by a man in a democracy’.

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