Summary  7

1 History of the office of Prime Minister  8

2 The appointment of a Prime Minister  15

2.1 The decision  15

2.2 The logistics  17

2.3 The resignation and appointment  18

2.4 The departure  20

2.5 Prime Minister's pre-election functions  20

2.6 Can a Prime Minister be dismissed?  21

2.7 How can a Prime Minister be removed?  21

2.8 Death or incapacity of a Prime Minister while in office  22

2.9 Prime Ministers holding another office  24

3 Prime Minister's functions  25

3.1 Constitutional and procedural  25

3.2 Managing the relationship between the government and the monarch  26

3.3 Managing the relationship between government and opposition  28

3.4 Managing intergovernmental relations  29

3.5 Establishing Cabinet order of precedence  30

3.6 Interpretation and content of the Ministerial Code and Cabinet Manual  31

3.7 Oversight of the Civil Service Code  34

3.8 Ministerial override on disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000  35

3.9 Requesting a dissolution of Parliament  35

3.10 Authorising coalition negotiations  37

3.11 Managing intra-coalition relationships  38

4 Appointments  39

4.1 Appointment and dismissal of ministers  40

4.2 Security Services  41

4.3 Civil Service  42

4.4 Ecclesiastical  43

4.5 Residual academic  44

4.6 Public sector and regulators  45

4.7 Inquiries and Royal Commissions  46

4.8 Honours  47

4.9 House of Lords  48

5 Conduct of Cabinet and parliamentary business  50

5.1 Calling meetings of Cabinet and its committees  50

5.2 Calling "Political Cabinets"  52

5.3 Collective Cabinet responsibility  52

5.4 Authorising absence from the Cabinet or country  53

5.5 Responsibility for legislative programme  54

5.6 Prime Minister's Questions  55

5.7 House of Commons Liaison Committee  57

6 Policy strategy and communications  58

6.1 Overall political strategy  58

6.2 Government communications  59

6.3 Special overarching policies  60

7 Organisational and efficiency questions  64

7.1 Organisation and staffing  64

7.2 Size of Cabinet and workload  65

7.3 Machinery of government  66

8 Budget and market sensitive decisions  68

8.1 The Budget  68

8.2 Interest rates  69

8.3 Pay review bodies  70

9 National Security  71

9.1 Chairing the National Security Council  71

9.2 Oversight of National Security Strategy  72

9.3 Oversight of counter-terrorist policies and arrangements  73

9.4 Overall efficiency of the Secret Services  73

9.5 Preparation of the "War Book"  75

9.6 Contingency planning  75

9.7 Deployment of the Armed Forces  76

9.8 Use of treaty prerogatives  77

10 Special personal responsibilities  79

10.1 Representing the UK internationally  79

10.2 Maintenance of relations with the United States  80

10.3 Decision to shoot down aircraft  82

10.4 Authorising use of UK nuclear weapons  82

11 Other aspects of the Prime Minister  84

11.1 Official residences  84

11.2 Salary and pension  88

11.3 Public Duty Costs Allowance  90

11.4 Transport  91

11.5 Security  91

11.6 Prime Ministerial gifts  92

11.7 Prime Ministers returning to government  92

11.8 Prime Ministerial memoirs  93

11.9 Honours for former Prime Ministers  94

11.10 Resignation honours  95

11.11 Prime Minister's spouse  96

12 Proposals for reform  97

12.1 Prime Minister's Department  97

12.2 Crown Prerogatives (Parliamentary Control) Bill  97

12.3 Political and Constitutional Reform Committee  98

12.4 Anthony Seldon  98

12.5 Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee  99

12.6 Independent Review of Governance and Accountability in the Civil Service  99

12.7 Commission on the Centre of Government  100

13 Statutory and prerogative functions  102

14 Further information about Prime Ministers  106