ABSTRACT
The Prime Minister and Cabinet came to form the heart of government – the core executive – in the United Kingdom. The emergence of a powerful Prime Minister and Cabinet was marked in the nineteenth century. In the eighteenth century the person holding the premiership had little by way of a formal office: that is, a significant body of administrative support. The Prime Minister is the most powerful person in government, yet he exercises no statutory powers. At the start of 2021, other than the Cabinet Office, the largest department was the Home Office, with eight ministers. The thesis of a presidential premiership in UK government has grown in recent years. The thesis of a presidential premiership rests on the Prime Minister becoming more detached from Cabinet, party and Parliament and operating as if the occupant of the office is elected directly by the people.
