A Prime Minister leads a government, which is made up of people who are elected by parliament to run the country. They set the national agenda and appoint cabinet officials. In parliamentary systems, prime ministers are typically chosen from the political party that commands – or can expect to command – a majority in parliament. They may also have to rely on the support of other parties in order to maintain their legislative mandate, and they can be subject to a vote of no confidence. The position is the highest office in a democracy, but it is not a constitutional monarchy.
The title ‘Prime Minister’ was introduced in the nineteenth century, but only in the twentieth century did it become a full-time position, and the role has been expanded to include crisis management during a national emergency. The prime minister chairs the cabinet, which normally meets at least once a week. They set its agenda and determine which matters are to be debated in plenary sessions of the Cabinet, and they are able to define the composition and terms of reference for Cabinet committees.
The Prime Minister also sets the general direction of the government, which is based on policy ideas and plans that they or their colleagues have come up with. They are the leader of their political party, and they often lead public debates in the House of Commons (including Prime Minister’s Questions once a week). Despite this, they have few formal powers; for example, the Cabinet Manual states that ‘few statutory powers are vested in the Prime Minister’.
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