 downfall, and most argue that this was the main factor which led to his election defeat in 1997, however there were also other reasons and collectively his reign of power diminished and was subsequently handed over to Tony Blair with his New Labour Party.
As we come to the end of Tony Blair's premiership, we can see the similarities in the way that he has run the government for the past 10 years, to that of both John Major, and Margaret Thatcher respectively.
At first Blair seemed to collaborate the strengths of both of his predecessors, by keeping a strong cabinet of ministers with regular meetings and debates over policy decisions, however he also showed that he was strong enough to stand by the manifesto that had got him into power in the first place, and with the help of his seemingly overwhelming majority of 179, he was able to push most of his legislative programme through parliament in the first year alone.
At the beginning of Blair's Premiership a lot of evidence can be found to support the theory that a more traditional Cabinet and leading Chief Executive Prime Minister partnership was in place, the two powers working well together and ensuring that important changes that needed to be made, were done so with the utmost efficiency. When he first came to power he needed to make radical changes in the way that Government operated in order to restore faith, and raise public opinion of democracy, which he succeeded to achieve.
After just 2 years in power, Blair had addressed and made positive changes in a number of different areas including the banning of Handguns, minimum wage, health and education issues, the reform of the House of Lords, and many other important transformations which stood him in good stead with the public to retain his position for the next two elections. His strong willed focussed attitude was a refreshing alternative to Major, who when compared to Blair, seems relatively weak, and lacked the strong characteristics and ambition that Blair had.
Through all the changes made in his first term, Blair was able to silence the criticism that he had received from not only his opposition but also members of his own party, however he also realised that by depending so heavily on his cabinet ministers such as John Prescott, Robin Cook, and perhaps the strongest of all Gordon Brown (Chancellor of the Exchequer), he was subsequently making them stronger.
As his predecessor, John Major, had also made his cabinet ministers 'too strong', Blair decided to learn from his mistakes and took it upon himself in his second term to stamp his authority on his Cabinet with the use of his powers as Prime Minister to remove any un-cooperating Ministers who might thwart his plans, and also show any other ministers who might have had the courage to go against party decision, and fail to 'toe party line' that it would be in their best interest to refrain from voicing their personal opinions, unless of course they agreed.
Blair then began to make more and more policy decisions based on discussions with his 'Number 10' advisors rather than the regular cabinet meetings which had since dwindled both in length, and regularity. When Blair came to power he had a mere 8 special advisors, however by the end of his second term, start of his third, that number had tripled to almost 30, with whom he continued to make an increasing number of important policy decisions.
The once traditional Blair, who had run his government with the strong support of his ministerial advisors, had become more like a President, in the fear that his Cabinet would become too strong. With the reduction of cabinet meetings and ministers, also came the reduction in public support, which in turn seriously affected the amount of seats in Labour government. His once substantial majority had dwindled to a much more modest victory in 2005. In answer to the initial question; 'Is it true to say that the UK now features Prime Ministerial rather than Cabinet Government?
the short answer would almost certainly be yes. Tony Blair has proved that his style of leading the country without seeking a great deal of input and debate from his cabinet, especially during the final years, is extremely similar to that of Margaret Thatcher, however if we look at the early years of his premiership and the decisions and policies that were set we find a much more balanced and traditional style, although in my opinion it was never a Cabinet Government.
After establishing that Blair has run his Government in a Prime Ministerial style, and even more prominently in the latter years with his introduction and use of more personal/special advisors, or Kitchen Cabinet as it has been dubbed, the question that presents itself is; what is the problem with a Prime Ministerial Government? The main argument is that the advisors that Blair filled number 10 with are not necessarily members of parliament, meaning they are helping the Prime Minister with decisions that will affect the whole country, when they haven't been elected by the people themselves.
However it can be argued that the ministers who have been elected aren't as experienced or as qualified in the relevant fields as those that the Prime Minister can choose personally. It is also worth noting that the decisions made by the Prime Minister and his 'Kitchen Cabinet' will also have to be passed through Parliament, and should the policies completely lose touch with reality and start becoming absurd, the government will still have a certain amount of control with it's powers of restraint, and it's also worth taking into account that a Prime Minister can still be virtually forced out by his/her Cabinet, as we saw with John Major.
Alderman, K. (2006). Prime Ministers and Cabinets.
Budge, I. (2007). The New British Politics. Essex: Pearson Education LTD.
Kavanagh, D. (2006). Tony Blair as Prime Minister.Carlisle Park – Morpeth Guide.
Carlisle Park Office, Off Castle Square, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1YD.
And within walking distance of the town centre.
Carlisle Park is open all year round. There are no admission charges.
There is also a splash pad.
The Northumberland Gov website has a sheet you can access to take part when visiting the park and William Turner Garden.
When visiting the park to see if they can spot the different wildlife, flowers and trees. There’s also some craft ideas on there too to keep them busy. The activity sheet has been sponsored by external bodies including King Edward VI School’s Parent/Teacher Association and Morpeth Town Council.
At the moment, we would not recommend travelling if you are not local til restrictions are lifted.
You can park next to the Morpeth leisure centre and the first three hours are free parking.
However, you will need the Northumberland parking disc, you can purchase one of these for £1 from the leisure centre when open.
Carlisle park is one of my favourite parks, the scenery is so beautiful and there is so much to do on the site and also nearby. I would say it is a great day out all year round and the kids always enjoy themselves.
We love sitting near the river and having our tea, it’s a great spot for a picnic or you could always grab a spot of lunch from their famous Chinese van.
Fortune Cookies is located in the car park and there is also an ice-cream van next door for the kids.
This Chinese van is only small but has a great menu to choose from, I’ve always wondered how they manage it from the outside.
The van is open from 12am to 8:30pm all week round apart from a Monday. They also close for their own lunch between 2:30pm to 3pm.
It is also cash only. However, you will be able to take money out in the town centre if needed.
You will receive your food in a container and comes a plastic fork – this is great to have a walk along the river.
The food is always amazing and always hear the same from everyone else too.
Previous Easter holidays 2021 guide – from what’s on to home fun.
Next Gifted | Kelly’s Deli Afternoon Tea Boxes delivery.
LEED for Homes FAQs for Homebuilders
This is copied in its entirety from the USGBC’s website
What is LEED®?
LEED®is a national third-party certification system that recognizes leadership in green building. It is developed by a consensus process by volunteer members of the U.S. Green Building Council who contribute their expertise to its technical development. LEED®was first introduced in March 2000 for new commercial construction, and has since grown to include specialized versions for homes, neighborhood development, commercial interiors, high-performance building operations and maintenance, and core and shell development. More than 3.2 billion square feet of real estate in the U.S. and in 60 countries are pursuing LEED® certification.
LEED®for Homes, which launched in February 2008, measures green homebuilding performance based on eight categories: site selection, water efficiency, materials & resources, energy & atmosphere, indoor environmental quality, location & linkages, awareness & education, and innovation. Within each of these areas, projects earn points toward certification. LEED® has four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum, with Platinum representing the highest level of achievement.
Why should I build a LEED® home?
LEED® certification recognizes and celebrates leadership in high-quality green homebuilding, and allows you as a builder to clearly differentiate your work.
For the homebuyer, LEED® is like the nutrition label on the side of a box of crackers: It clearly labels in measurable terms that the home has healthy, green, efficient features that have been third-party verified.
What is the difference between LEED® for Homes and other green home programs?
LEED®is a national third-party certification system for green homebuilding. It is designed to recognize leadership, so the program is rigorous and