103-477: [REDACTED] Iraq – Its Infrastructure of Concealment, Deception and Intimidation (more commonly known as the Iraq Dossier , the February Dossier or the Dodgy Dossier ) was a 2003 briefing document for the British prime minister Tony Blair 's Labour Party government. It was issued to journalists on 3 February 2003 by Alastair Campbell , Blair's Director of Communications and Strategy , and concerned Iraq and weapons of mass destruction . Along with
206-499: A Queen's Counsel in 1982. He first became a Member of Parliament at the 1983 general election , representing the constituency of Folkestone and Hythe . This quickly led to his promotion and Howard became Minister for Local Government in 1987. Under the premiership of John Major, he served as Secretary of State for Employment (1990–1992), Secretary of State for the Environment (1992–1993) and Home Secretary (1993–1997). Following
309-399: A 45% decrease in crime since a 1993 study by Home Office criminologist Roger Tarling proved that prison worked though the prison population rose from 42,000 to nearly 85,000. Ken Clarke disagreed, pointing to a 60% recidivism rate amongst newly released prisoners and hinting that factors such as better household and vehicle security and better policing could be influencing crime rates, not just
412-754: A backbench MP. Following the Conservative defeat at the 2001 general election , Howard was recalled to frontline politics when the Conservative Party's new leader, Iain Duncan Smith , appointed him Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. His performances in the post won him much praise; indeed, under his guidance, the Conservatives decided to debate the economy on an 'Opposition Day' for the first time in several years. After Duncan Smith
515-499: A constitutional anomaly in the 21st century. Both contend that such powers lack direct democratic legitimacy due to not being regulated by parliamentary statutes and raise concerns over accountability. Elliot and Thomas have pointed out that judicial intervention in cases such as Miller I and Miller II , where the Supreme Court exercised scrutiny over the use of prerogative powers by the government to prorogue parliament during
618-589: A policy which the Thatcher government pursued over a decade later. In the 1970s, Howard was a leading advocate of British membership of the Common Market (EEC) and served on the board of the cross-party Britain in Europe group. In 1975, Howard married Sandra Paul . They have a son, born in 1976, and a daughter, born in 1977. At the 1966 and 1970 general elections , Howard unsuccessfully contested
721-632: A recommended a minimum term of eight years. Lord Taylor of Gosforth , the Lord Chief Justice , ordered that the two boys should serve a minimum of ten years. The editors of The Sun newspaper handed a petition bearing nearly 280,000 signatures to Howard, in a bid to increase the time spent by both boys in custody. This campaign was successful, and the boys were kept in custody for a minimum of fifteen years, meaning that they would not be considered for release until February 2008, by which time they would be 25 years of age. A former Master of
824-550: A statement admitting that a mistake was made in not crediting its sources, but did not concede that the quality of the document's text was affected. The claims contained in the September and 'Iraq' Dossiers were called into question when weapons of mass destruction (WMD) were not found in Iraq, and the dossiers were encompassed by House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee inquiry. The Committee subsequently reported that
927-528: A third term in government, Howard described the election as "the beginning of a recovery" for the Conservative Party following Labour's landslide victories in 1997 and 2001. Howard's own constituency of Folkestone and Hythe had been heavily targeted by the Liberal Democrats as the most sought after prize of their failed "decapitation" strategy of seeking to gain seats from prominent Conservatives. Yet Howard almost doubled his majority to 11,680, while
1030-527: A top civil servant if he had the power to overrule Lewis. Shortly after the 1997 Newsnight interview, Ann Widdecombe , his former minister of state at the Home Office, made a statement in the House of Commons about the dismissal of Derek Lewis and remarked of Howard that there is "something of the night" about him. This much quoted comment is thought to have contributed to the failure of his 1997 bid for
1133-441: A vote of no confidence, they are often expected to resign from office or request the monarch dissolve parliament to call a general election. The prime minister acts as the principal advisor to the monarch, who is the head of state, a capacity that has evolved gradually during the history of the office. Bagehot says that despite the monarch holding certain theoretical executive powers, in practice, these powers are often executed upon
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#17327797853491236-470: Is able to wield considerable power in the passing of legislation through their ability to manage party discipline and cohesion in voting patterns. Bogdanor states that this largely depends upon the prime minister being the leader of the largest party in the Commons, which can pass legislation without any or little resistance if they can command the confidence of the House. This aspect of prime ministerial power
1339-413: Is authorised with broader support from and within the government. The prime minister must constantly maintain the confidence of the House of Commons because, as Bagehot notes, the power of the prime minister derives from their ability to command a majority in the House in order to pass legislation and continue the functions of government. If a prime minister loses the confidence of the House, which occurs in
1442-552: Is based on an uncodified constitution , meaning that it is not set out in any single document. The British constitution consists of many documents, and most importantly for the evolution of the office of the prime minister, it is based on customs known as constitutional conventions that became accepted practice. In 1928, Prime Minister H. H. Asquith described this characteristic of the British constitution in his memoirs: In this country we live ... under an unwritten Constitution. It
1545-467: Is informal and often carried out by the office of Whips, who makes sure that MPs remain loyal and vote on the government line. The political scientist Anthony King said that the prime minister's influence over legislation is further solidified through their ability to shape policy before it reaches parliament. King further argued that the shaping of legislation, on many occasions, involves the collaborative efforts of cabinet ministers and civil servants, but
1648-592: Is often through party discipline and having a reliable majority of MPs who vote in support of the government's priorities. Another essential part of the parliamentary powers possessed by the prime minister is determining the composition of the Cabinet. According to Professor Robert Hazell, the prime minister not only chooses cabinet members but also dictates the collective decision-making process of members as well. The prime minister most often would chair cabinet meetings and may determine their frequency, thereby controlling
1751-505: Is the responsibility of the trial judge, with the benefit of all the evidence and argument from both prosecution and defence counsel, to determine the minimum term in individual criminal cases. Howard's reputation was damaged on 13 May 1997 when a critical inquiry into a series of prison escapes was published. Howard denied responsibility for the Prison Service 's operations and laid the blame with Director General Derek Lewis , who
1854-730: Is true that we have on the Statute-book great instruments like Magna Carta, the Petition of Right, and the Bill of Rights which define and secure many of our rights and privileges; but the great bulk of our constitutional liberties and ... our constitutional practices do not derive their validity and sanction from any Bill which has received the formal assent of the King, Lords and Commons. They rest on usage, custom, convention, often of slow growth in their early stages, not always uniform, but which in
1957-627: The 2010 Dissolution Honours with the title of Baron Howard of Lympne , of Lympne in the County of Kent. On 20 July 2010, he was formally introduced into the House of Lords by past colleague Norman Lamont , and attended Questions and debate later that day. In 2010, David Cameron wanted Howard to join his Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition , possibly as Lord Chancellor , via the House of Lords as part of David Cameron's appeal to rightwing Tories. However, it did not happen, Howard having criticised
2060-424: The 2010 general election . On 13 July 2006 the Conservatives selected Damian Collins to stand in his place at that election. On 19 June 2006 it was reported that Howard would become chairman of Diligence Europe, a private intelligence and risk assessment company founded by former CIA and MI5 members. On 23 October 2006, Howard said that he had voluntarily been questioned as a potential witness as part of
2163-504: The 2024 general election . The position of prime minister was not created; it evolved slowly and organically over three hundred years due to numerous Acts of Parliament , political developments, and accidents of history. The office is therefore best understood from a historical perspective. The origins of the position are found in constitutional changes that occurred during the Revolutionary Settlement (1688–1720) and
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#17327797853492266-631: The Department of Trade and Industry in 1985 with responsibility for regulating the financial dealings of the City of London. This junior post became very important, as he oversaw the Big Bang introduction of new technology in 1986. Following the 1987 general election , he became Minister for Local Government. Following a proposal from backbench MP David Wilshire , he accepted the amendment which would become Section 28 (prohibiting local governments from
2369-451: The G7 and G20 . 58 people (55 men and 3 women) have served as prime minister, the first of whom was Robert Walpole taking office on 3 April 1721. The longest-serving prime minister was also Walpole, who served over 20 years, and the shortest-serving was Liz Truss , who served seven weeks. The current prime minister is Keir Starmer , who succeeded Rishi Sunak on 5 July 2024, following
2472-658: The Hutton Inquiry that recalling the February Dossier had led him to file his report based on his interview with Dr. Kelly without seeking confirmation from other sources. Whether or not the September Dossier was inconsistent with the original intelligence, it was altered in ways that made it inconsistent with itself. The dossier became a point of amusement in British politics. During one Prime Minister's Questions , Michael Howard (then leader of
2575-577: The Iraq Dossier was mentioned frequently in the government's conflict with the BBC over the claim in the September Dossier that Iraq could deploy biological weapons within 45 minutes of an order to do so, and the controversy surrounding the death of Dr. David Kelly . Andrew Gilligan , the BBC journalist who wrote a report which claimed that the September Dossier had been deliberately exaggerated, stated before
2678-619: The Labour Party in 1961 in protest against the former's invitation to Oswald Mosley to speak to the CUCA. He had rejoined the Conservatives by the next year. Howard was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1964 and specialised in employment and planning law. He continued his career at the Bar, becoming a practising Queen's Counsel in 1982 (unlike some barrister-MPs who were awarded
2781-619: The United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union , was successful in keeping check over the authority of both the prime minister and the government. The evolving usage of prerogative powers also has signalled tension between tradition and accountability. Authors Paul Craig and Adam Tomkins state that the absence of a written constitution gives a prime minister greater leeway in employing their given prerogative powers without limits that in turn would create uncertainty although
2884-400: The advice of the prime minister, the sovereign exercises many statutory and prerogative powers, including high judicial, political, official and Church of England ecclesiastical appointments; the conferral of peerages and some knighthoods, decorations and other important honours. Bagehot identifies the prime minister as the leader of the "efficient" part of government that functions within
2987-437: The "machinery of government" that allows them to guide legislation that align with their party's political and ideological priorities. Brazier argues that the legislative power of the prime minister has greatly expanded following the post-war period and that as a result, the prime minister now directly authorises supervision over government bills and has a consequential role in the introduction of legislation. The prime minister
3090-550: The "promotion" of homosexuality) and defended its inclusion. Howard guided the 1988 Local Government Finance Act through the House of Commons. The act brought in Margaret Thatcher's new system of local taxation, officially known as the Community Charge but almost universally nicknamed the "poll tax". Howard personally supported the tax and won Thatcher's respect for minimising the rebellion against it within
3193-474: The 2005 general election, Howard's Conservative Party suffered a third consecutive defeat, although the Conservatives gained 33 seats (including five from the Liberal Democrats ) and Labour's majority shrank from 167 to 66. The Conservatives were left with 198 seats to Labour's 355. The Conservative share of the national vote increased by 0.6% from 2001 and 1.6% from 1997. The party ended with 32.4% of
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3296-440: The British system, there is a unity of powers rather than separation . Walter Bagehot described the office of prime minister as the "keystone of the Cabinet arch" that maintained while the prime minister can hold significant power over the executive, it is often exercised collectively through the Cabinet (Government). Ministerial responsibility is also an aspect of a prime minister's executive authority. The prime minister leads
3399-478: The Conservative Party leadership, including by Howard and Widdecombe and led to him being caricatured as a vampire, in part due to his Romanian ancestry. Such characterisations caused discontent among some members of Britain's Jewish community. In 1996 Howard, as Home Secretary, ordered the release of John Haase and Paul Bennett with royal pardons after 10 months of their 18-year prison sentences for heroin smuggling, after they had provided information leading to
3502-493: The Conservative Party's landslide defeat at the 1997 general election , he unsuccessfully contested the leadership, and subsequently held the posts of Shadow Foreign Secretary (1997–1999) and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer (2001–2003). In November 2003, following the Conservative Party's vote of no confidence in Iain Duncan Smith , Howard was elected to the leadership unopposed. At the 2005 general election ,
3605-537: The Conservative Party. After a period as Minister for Water and Planning in 1988–89, during which he was responsible for implementing water privatisation in England and Wales, Howard was promoted to the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Employment in January 1990 following the resignation of Norman Fowler . He subsequently guided through legislation abolishing the closed shop , and campaigned vigorously for Thatcher in
3708-458: The Conservative Party. The complaint argued that the Newsnight team spoke only to people who held opinions against either Michael Howard or the Conservatives and that Paxman's style was bullying and unnecessarily aggressive. In this programme, Paxman also returned to his question from 1997 . Howard returned briefly to Newsnight on Jeremy Paxman's final episode on 18 June 2014 for a cameo. At
3811-494: The Conservatives gained 33 new seats in Parliament, including five from the Liberal Democrats; but this still gave them only 198 seats to Labour's 355. Following the election, Howard resigned as Leader of the Conservative Party and was succeeded by David Cameron . Howard did not contest his seat of Folkestone and Hythe in the 2010 general election and entered the House of Lords as Baron Howard of Lympne. Prior to Brexit , he
3914-664: The Environment in the reshuffle following the election. In this capacity he encouraged the United States to participate in the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, but shortly afterwards he was appointed Home Secretary in a 1993 reshuffle precipitated by the sacking of Norman Lamont as Chancellor. As Home Secretary he pursued a tough approach to crime, summed up in his sound bite, "prison works". During his tenure as Home Secretary, recorded crime fell by 16.8%. In 2010 Howard claimed
4017-454: The Liberal Democrats saw their vote fall. During the 2005 general election campaign, Howard was criticised by some commentators for conducting a campaign which addressed the issues of immigration , asylum seekers , and travellers . Others noted that the continued media coverage of such issues created most of the controversy and that Howard merely defended his views when questioned at unrelated policy launches. Some evidence suggested that
4120-625: The Opposition ), informed Blair, "I have got a great big dossier on his past and I haven't even had to sex it up." The term "Dodgy Dossier" was used again in January 2017, in reference to the " Steele dossier " on a supposed sex scandal involving US President Donald Trump . PDF version of the February dossier at the Wayback Machine (archived April 4, 2003) (document was removed from number10.gov.uk website) Other versions of
4223-686: The Rolls , Lord Donaldson , criticised Howard's intervention, describing the increased tariff as "institutionalised vengeance ... [by] a politician playing to the gallery". The increased minimum term was overturned in 1997 by the House of Lords , which ruled it was substantively ultra vires , and therefore "unlawful", for the Home Secretary to decide on minimum sentences for young offenders. The High Court and European Court of Human Rights have since ruled that, though Parliament may set minimum and maximum terms for individual categories of crime, it
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4326-731: The Young Conservatives at age 15. He gained a place at Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he was President of the Cambridge Union in 1962. After taking a 2:1 in the first part of the economics tripos , he switched to law and graduated with a 2:2 in 1962. Howard was one of a cluster of Conservative students at Cambridge University around this time, sometimes referred to as the " Cambridge Mafia ", many of whom held high government office under Margaret Thatcher and John Major (see: Cambridge University Conservative Association ). According to Kenneth Clarke , Howard briefly defected to
4429-438: The abilities to declare war, negotiate treaties and deploy the armed forces have historically been part of the monarch's royal authority but have slowly evolved into a function of the office of prime minister. Despite this, the exercise of the prime minister's prerogative powers in these matters is under the oversight of parliament. It is often by convention that a prime minister must seek the approval of parliament before committing
4532-415: The advice and recommendation of the prime minister and the cabinet. This is considered a major principle of the "unity of powers" that exists within a constitutional monarchy in which the monarch "reigns but does not rule". According to Brazier, the prime minister advises the monarch on matters such as the dissolution of parliament and appointments to the House of Lords, but these decisions are often made with
4635-663: The agenda for policy and steering decisions in their preferred direction. Additionally, the prime minister can exercise considerable control over parliamentary time. Authors Alexander Horne and Gavin Drewry state that the prime minister uses this power through the Leader of the House of Commons , by which they are able to allocate time for government bills and often ensuring access to this time over private members' bills. The prime minister's parliamentary powers also extend to foreign relations. Contemporary historian Anthony Seldon says that
4738-410: The cabinet which makes the holder of that office bear responsibility for the collective conduct of the government. Professor Rodney Brazier points out that the since the prime minister wields significant sway over policy, that power must be subjected to the conclusion and input of Cabinet ministers. This prevents the office of prime minister from becoming more dominant and also ensures that executive power
4841-534: The centuries. The office of prime minister itself is not explicitly mentioned in parliamentary law but is developed by constitutional conventions and therefore it is defined by precedent and tradition. Bogdanor notes that the prime minister's power in parliament is exhibited by their control of the executive (the Cabinet) and their ability to influence the legislative agenda. The ability of the prime minister to influence legislation, according to academic Philip Norton ,
4944-412: The confidence of the House of Commons , they sit as members of Parliament . The office of prime minister is not established by any statute or constitutional document, but exists only by long-established convention , whereby the monarch appoints as prime minister the person most likely to command the confidence of the House of Commons. In practice, this is the leader of the political party that holds
5047-414: The consent of parliament. The prime minister leads the executive in directing government policy and maintaining coordination between government departments which is dependent upon the cooperation and consent of ministers. Foreign policy and national security are areas in which the prime minister has traditionally enjoyed more authority under what are known as prerogative powers. Vernon Bogdanor argues that
5150-493: The constitutional hierarchy, the premiership was given little formal recognition until the 20th century; the legal fiction was maintained that the sovereign still governed directly. The position was first mentioned in statute only in 1917, in the schedule of the Chequers Estate Act . Increasingly during the 20th century, the office and role of prime minister featured in statute law and official documents; however,
5253-438: The course of time received universal observance and respect. The relationships between the prime minister and the sovereign, Parliament and Cabinet are defined largely by these unwritten conventions of the constitution. Many of the prime minister's executive and legislative powers are actually royal prerogatives which are still formally vested in the sovereign , who remains the head of state . Despite its growing dominance in
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#17327797853495356-524: The dossier are available, such as: Other links: British prime minister The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom . The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative , chairs the Cabinet , and selects its ministers . As modern prime ministers hold office by virtue of their ability to command
5459-492: The earlier September Dossier , these documents were ultimately used by the British government to justify its involvement in the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The term Dodgy Dossier was first coined by online polemical magazine Spiked in relation to the September Dossier . The term was later employed by Channel 4 News when its reporter, Julian Rush, was made aware of Glen Rangwala 's discovery that much of
5562-512: The election. In February 2004, Howard called on then-Prime Minister Tony Blair to resign over the Iraq War, for failing to ask "basic questions" regarding WMD claims and misleading Parliament. In July, the Conservative leader stated that he would not have voted for the motion that authorised the Iraq War had he known the quality of intelligence information on which the WMD claims were based. At
5665-426: The first ballot of the 1990 Conservative leadership election , although he told her a day before she resigned that he felt she was not going to win and that John Major was better placed to defeat Michael Heseltine . He retained his Cabinet post under John Major and campaigned against trade union power during the 1992 general election campaign. His work in the campaign led to his appointment as Secretary of State for
5768-487: The goal of enacting the legislative agenda of their political party. In an executive capacity, the prime minister appoints (and may dismiss) all other Cabinet members and ministers , and co-ordinates the policies and activities of all government departments, and the staff of the Civil Service. The prime minister also acts as the public "face" and "voice" of His Majesty's Government, both at home and abroad. Solely upon
5871-420: The government to steer legislation through both Houses of Parliament. Although the prime minister does not possess the power to introduce legislation directly, their control of the cabinet and their role as leader of the largest political party in the House of Commons enables them substantial influence over any legislative agenda. Bagehot points out that this power is based on the prime minister's ability to operate
5974-575: The government's proposal for a 'rehabilitation revolution'. In February 2011 there was increased speculation that Cameron would reshuffle his cabinet, with Lord Howard brought in to replace Kenneth Clarke as Secretary of State for Justice . Instead, Chris Grayling was appointed. Howard was appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in the 2011 Birthday Honours for public and political services. A few days after Article 50
6077-533: The governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major , including Secretary of State for Employment , Secretary of State for the Environment and Home Secretary . Howard was born in Swansea to a Jewish family, his father from Romania and his mother from Wales . He studied at Peterhouse, Cambridge , following which he joined the Young Conservatives . In 1964, he was called to the Bar and became
6180-477: The granting of honours. Brazier argues that prerogative powers allow the prime minister to act within the "authority of the crown" in situations where neither convention nor statutory law applies. As noted by both Bagehot and Brazier, areas in which the prime minister authorises their given prerogative powers are matters of foreign affairs. In recent occasions, the 2003 invasion of Iraq saw Prime Minister Tony Blair deploying British troops to Saudi Arabia without
6283-471: The immediate consent or approval of parliament. Brazier says the rise of parliamentary and public scrutiny has led to calls for reform and checks on the use of prerogative powers. The only prime minister who did not seek parliamentary or legal consent for military action was Anthony Eden during the Suez Crisis in 1956. Professors Mark Elliot and Robert Thomas argue that prerogative powers present
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#17327797853496386-417: The incapacitation effect of removing offenders to prison. Howard repeatedly clashed with judges and prison reformers as he sought to clamp down on crime through a series of 'tough' measures, such as reducing the right to silence of defendants in their police interviews and at their trials as part of 1994's Criminal Justice and Public Order Act . Howard voted for the reintroduction of the death penalty for
6489-546: The investigation into the Cash-for-Honours scandal relating to fundraising for the 2005 election campaign. He was not suspected of any criminal activity, was not accused of any criminal activity, and gave evidence purely as a witness in an investigation focusing primarily on the Labour Government's use of the peerages system and their party fundraising. Howard was appointed a Conservative life peer in
6592-403: The killing of police officers on duty and for murders carried out with firearms in 1983 and 1990. In 1993, he changed his mind and became opposed to the reintroduction of the death penalty and voted against it again in February 1994. In 1993, following the murder of James Bulger , two eleven-year-old boys were convicted of his murder and sentenced to be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure , with
6695-669: The largest number of seats in the Commons. The prime minister is ex officio also First Lord of the Treasury (prior to 1905 also the official title of the position), Minister for the Civil Service , the minister responsible for national security , and Minister for the Union . The prime minister's official residence and office, by virtue of being the First Lord of the Treasury, is 10 Downing Street in London. Early conceptions of
6798-415: The nation to military action. In addition to this, the prime minister also exerts informal influence over public policy. Brazier notes this is due to the prime minister often being the leader of the largest party in government, therefore having a direct impact in initiating policy both in government and during election campaigns. In the House of Commons, the prime minister guides the law-making process with
6901-522: The next general election. He also oversaw Blair's first parliamentary defeat, when the Conservative Party, the Liberal Democrats and sufficient Labour Party rebels voted against government proposals to extend to 90 days the period that terror suspects could be held for without charge . Howard stood down as Leader in December 2005 and was replaced by David Cameron. Howard announced on 17 March 2006 that he would stand down as MP for Folkestone and Hythe at
7004-412: The office of prime minister evolved as the " Primus inter pares " or "first among equals", however that does not differentiate on status and responsibility upon whoever is holding office. Historically, the prime minister has never been the first among equals at any time prior to 1868. Until now, that characterisation of the prime minister is reflective of the democratic nature of their position. The power of
7107-425: The office of prime minister has grown significantly since the first prime minister, Robert Walpole in 1721. Prime ministerial power itself evolved gradually alongside the office itself which have played an increasingly prominent role in British politics since the early 20th century . During the premierships of Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher , prime ministerial power expanded substantially and their leadership in
7210-418: The office were described as "presidential" due to their personal yielding of power and tight control over the cabinet. The prime minister is regarded as one of the world's most powerful political leaders in modern times. As the leader of the world's sixth largest economy , the prime minister hold significant domestic and international leadership alongside being the leader of a prominent member state of NATO ,
7313-478: The party whip from Ann Winterton after she joked about 23 Chinese migrants' deaths. In the lead up to the 2005 election campaign, Howard continued to impose strong party discipline, controversially forcing the deselection of at least four candidates. Danny Kruger was made to resign in Sedgefield after he said that the Conservatives "plan to introduce a period of creative destruction in the public services". He
7416-451: The powers of the Crown, entrusting its authority to responsible ministers (the prime minister and Cabinet), accountable for their policies and actions to Parliament, in particular the elected House of Commons . Although many of the sovereign's prerogative powers are still legally intact, constitutional conventions have removed the monarch from day-to-day governance, with ministers exercising
7519-428: The prime minister acts as the main representative of the government in the international sphere, including in parliament, where treaties are ratified and international commitments are debated. The most significant powers given to the prime minister are "prerogative powers". These are a set of constitutional privileges deriving from monarchial authority that have gradually evolved into tools of executive power managed by
7622-401: The prime minister and the government. Bagehot famously called the British system as one where "the executive power is now yielded by the prime minister" rather than the monarch, a shift from personal to political power. Prerogative powers allow the prime minister to act without the immediate or direct consent of parliament especially in circumstances such as declaring war, deployment of troops and
7725-463: The prime minister and the sovereign. The concept of " the Crown " resolves this paradox. The Crown symbolises the state's authority to govern: to make laws and execute them, impose taxes and collect them, declare war and make peace. Before the " Glorious Revolution " of 1688, the sovereign exclusively wielded the powers of the Crown; afterwards, Parliament gradually forced monarchs to assume a neutral political position. Parliament has effectively dispersed
7828-404: The prime minister depends on the support of their respective party and on the popular mandate. The appointment of cabinet ministers and granting of honours are done through the prime minister's power of appointment . The prime minister alongside the cabinet proposes new legislation and decide on key policies that fit their agenda which is then passed by an act of parliament . The power of
7931-531: The prime minister's approval is needed in order to initiate the legislative agenda. King's analysis of contemporary politcs showed that some prime ministers often bypass or overrule the cabinet on traditional discussion and to push through their preferred agendas with notable cases such as Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair. The prime minister's influence in the Houses of Parliament is derived from longstanding conventions and statutes that have gradually evolved through
8034-462: The prime minister's powers and relationships with other institutions still largely continue to derive from ancient royal prerogatives and historic and modern constitutional conventions. Prime ministers continue to hold the position of First Lord of the Treasury and, since November 1968, that of Minister for the Civil Service , the latter giving them authority over the civil service . Under this arrangement, Britain might appear to have two executives:
8137-550: The public generally supported policies proposed by the Conservative Party when they were not told which party had proposed them, indicating that the party still had an image problem. Conservative John Major's 30% lead in 1992 amongst the sought after ABC1 voters (professionals) had all but disappeared by 2005. The campaign focus on immigration may have been influenced by Howard's election adviser Lynton Crosby , who had run similar tactics in Australian elections earlier. Crosby
8240-430: The question "Did you threaten to overrule him?" twelve times. Howard repeatedly said that he "did not instruct him", ignoring the "threaten" part of the question. Paxman asked him again in another interview in 2004. Howard responded: "Oh come on, Jeremy, are you really going back over that again? As it happens, I didn't. Are you satisfied now?" Secret Home Office papers partially vindicated Howard, but show that Howard asked
8343-503: The resulting shift of political power from the sovereign to Parliament. The prime minister is the head of the United Kingdom government . As such, the modern prime minister leads the Cabinet (the Executive). In addition, the prime minister leads a major political party and generally commands a majority in the House of Commons (the lower chamber of Parliament). The incumbent wields both significant legislative and executive powers. Under
8446-445: The royal prerogatives, leaving the monarch in practice with three constitutional rights: to be kept informed, to advise and to warn. Michael Howard Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne CH PC KC (born Michael Hecht ; 7 July 1941) is a British politician who was Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005. He previously held cabinet positions in
8549-495: The safe Labour seat of Liverpool Edge Hill , reinforcing his strong support for Liverpool F.C. which he has held since childhood. In June 1982, Howard was selected to contest the constituency of Folkestone and Hythe in Kent after the sitting Conservative MP, Sir Albert Costain , decided to retire. Howard won the seat at the 1983 general election. Howard gained quick promotion, becoming Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at
8652-553: The same time, he said he still believed in the Iraq invasion was right because "the prize of a stable Iraq was worth striving for". However, Howard's criticism of Blair was not received favourably in Washington, D.C., where President of the United States George W. Bush refused to meet him. Bush's advisor Karl Rove reportedly told Howard, "you can forget about meeting the president. Don't bother coming." Howard
8755-456: The seizure of firearms. In 2008 Haase and Bennett were convicted of having set up the weapons finds to earn them their release, and sentenced to 20 and 22 years in prison respectively. Following the 1997 resignation of John Major, Howard and William Hague ran on the same ticket, with Howard as leader and Hague as Deputy Leader and Party Chairman. The day after they agreed this, Hague decided to run on his own. Howard also stood but his campaign
8858-411: The sources should have been credited, and that the dossier should have been checked by ministers before being released. The dossier had only been reviewed by a group of civil servants operating under Alastair Campbell . The committee stated that the publication was "almost wholly counter-productive" and in the event only served to undermine the credibility of the government's case. The controversy over
8961-574: The subjugation of Britain's Protestant ethos to Roman Catholic social, political and religious teaching". Most prominently, incumbent MP and then- Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party Howard Flight was deselected in Arundel and South Downs , for a speech at a Conservative Way Forward meeting that suggested that the Conservatives would make much greater spending cuts than they promised in their manifesto, if they won
9064-619: The title as an honorific despite no longer practising at the Bar). In the late 1960s Howard gained promotion within the Bow Group , becoming Chairman in April 1970. At the Conservative Party conference in October 1970, he made a notable speech commending the government for attempting to curb trade union power and also called for state aid to strikers' families to be reduced or stopped altogether,
9167-647: The tone of the alleged findings (e.g., "monitoring foreign embassies in Iraq" became "spying on foreign embassies in Iraq", and "aiding opposition groups in hostile regimes" became "supporting terrorist organisations in hostile regimes"). In its opening paragraph the briefing document claimed that it drew "upon a number of sources, including intelligence material". Before the document's release it had been praised by Tony Blair and United States Secretary of State Colin Powell as further intelligence and quality research. The day after Channel 4 's exposé , Blair's office issued
9270-492: The total votes cast, which was within 3% of Labour on 35.2%. The day after the election, Howard stated in a speech in the newly gained Conservative seat in Putney that he would not lead the party into the next general election as, already aged 63, he would be "too old" by that stage, and that he would stand down "sooner rather than later", following a revision of the Conservative leadership electoral process. Despite Labour winning
9373-602: The use of such powers by the prime minister is often constrained by political convention than by law. King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee The British system of government
9476-472: The way for David Cameron (who had worked for Howard as a Special Advisor when the latter was Home Secretary) to run for the Conservative Party leadership. The reforms to the party's election process took several months and Howard remained in his position for six months following the election. During that period, he enjoyed a fairly pressure-free time, often making joking comparisons between himself and Tony Blair , both of whom had declared they would not stand at
9579-512: The work in the Iraq Dossier had been plagiarised from various unattributed sources including a thesis produced by a student at California State University. The most notable source was an article by then graduate student Ibrahim al-Marashi , entitled Iraq's Security and Intelligence Network: A Guide and Analysis . Whole sections of Marashi's writings on "Saddam's Special Security Organisation" were repeated verbatim including typographical errors , while certain amendments were made to strengthen
9682-399: Was later re-hired by the Conservative Party to run their successful campaign in the 2008 London mayoral election . Despite his impending resignation following the 2005 general election, Howard performed a substantial reshuffle of the party's front bench in which several rising star MPs were given their first shadow portfolios, including George Osborne and David Cameron . This move cleared
9785-481: Was later selected and elected as the Conservative MP for Devizes in 2019 . Robert Oulds and Adrian Hilton were successively sacked as candidates for Slough –Oulds after he was photographed with a number of firearms and dubbed a "Tory gun nut" by The Sun ; and Hilton after a piece he wrote for The Spectator in 2003 came to public attention, in which he claimed that "a Catholic EU will inevitably result in
9888-454: Was marred by attacks on his record as Home Secretary. Howard came in last out of five candidates with the support of only 23 MPs in the first round of polling for the leadership election. He then withdrew from the race and endorsed the eventual winner, William Hague. Howard served as Shadow Foreign Secretary for the next two years but retired from the Shadow cabinet in 1999, though continued as
9991-494: Was murdered at Auschwitz . Bernat Hecht was a synagogue cantor who worked for his wife's family drapery business, later establishing himself as a prominent local businessman, owning three shops in Llanelli. When Howard was six, his parents became naturalised as British subjects and the family name was changed to Howard. Howard passed his eleven-plus exam in 1952 and then attended Llanelli Boys' Grammar School . He joined
10094-517: Was named 2003 Parliamentarian of the Year by The Spectator and Zurich UK. This was in recognition of his performance at the dispatch box in his previous role as Shadow Chancellor. However, twelve months after he became party leader, neither his personal popularity nor his party's with the public had risen appreciably in opinion polls from several years before. Howard was part of discussions for British Airways to resume flights to Pakistan in 2003, this
10197-470: Was removed from the leadership, Howard was elected unopposed as leader of the party in November 2003. As leader, he faced much less discontent within the party than any of his three predecessors and was seen as a steady hand. He avoided repeating such managerial missteps as Duncan Smith's firing of David Davis as Conservative Party Chairman and imposed discipline quickly and firmly: for example, he removed
10300-450: Was sacked. Lewis sued the Home Office for wrongful dismissal and alleged that Howard had regularly interfered with the service's operations, citing an instance in which Howard put "extreme and unjustified pressure" on him to suspend the governor of Parkhurst Prison (threatening to overrule him if he did not). In a television interview on Newsnight , Jeremy Paxman asked Howard whether he had in fact threatened to overrule Lewis, posing
10403-830: Was supportive of the Eurosceptic pressure group Leave Means Leave . Howard was born Michael Hecht in Gorseinon, Swansea, son of Bernat Hecht (died 1966), who was born in Romania and came to Britain in 1939, and Hilda ( née Kershion ), who had lived in Wales from the age of six months where her father was a draper in Llanelli . She was a cousin of the Landy family who had helped Bernat Hecht come to Britain. Both of Howard's parents were from Jewish families. Howard's grandmother
10506-472: Was triggered for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, Howard was interviewed on 2 April 2017 by Sophy Ridge for her programme on Sky News . He compared the post- Brexit situation of Gibraltar's disputed sovereignty with Spain with the resolution of a similar issue by the Falklands War in 1982. Howard said he was "absolutely certain" Theresa May "will show the same resolve in standing by
10609-420: Was until their final departure in 2008 the only European airline serving the nation. In November 2004, Newsnight again concentrated on Howard with coverage of a campaign trip to Cornwall and an interview with Jeremy Paxman. The piece, which purported to show that members of the public could not identify Howard and that those who recognised him did not support him, was the subject of an official complaint from
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