What are the main sources of Prime Ministerial power?

The Prime Minister enjoys certain privileges and powers that the rest of the executive. The Prime Minister is the most important figure in the UK political system, there is debate to the extent of he or she’s power; the PM draws power from a number of sources. The extent to which these powers are harnessed and used is dependent upon a number of factor, but in reality the PM can gather an incredible amount of power from the traditions, conventions and laws which regulate the post of Prime Minister. The post is seen as providing “National Leadership” and is therefore the pre-eminent position in UK politics.
The Prime Minister is first and foremost an MP. This affords them legitimate power to act as they see fit on behalf of the electorate. Moreover, they have also been democratically elected within their own party, therefore they have a mandate to rule. The principle job and source of power for the PM is to set up a government. Ratified by the Queen this gives the PM the power of patronage. They can hire and fire; this gives them control and power over the careers of party members and peers. As a result party member and ministers want to impress the PM and often agree with his or her policies. Much of the PM’s power comes from being able to “hire and fire”. Although this does come with constraints; firing members of the cabinet can cause tensions within the party. However, substantial reshuffles have secures a PM’s power such as Blair’s. In addition during a coalition government management of the cabinet is more complex and less likely to strengthen the power of the PM.
Not only does the PM control who sits as part of the the executive it is also the duty and responsibility (and power) of the PM to manage the administration of the Cabinet. The setting of agenda meetings along with their duration and frequency enables the PM to wield power over discussions and flow of information. The Cabinet is to a large extent constrained by how the PM sets up meetings. Moreover the Prime Minister can create a “kitchen Cabinet” or “sofa government” that is have discussions and meetings with individual minister outside of the Cabinet meetings. This can be a source of power for the PM as it is a forum for discussion and persuasion.
Controlling the Cabinet is a great source of power for the PM. However, it is conditional on him or her being popular within the party and wider electorate. If Cabinet resignations occur because of mis-management by the PM this can damage the government and the power the PM has.
The power of the PM has increased since 1945 due to the growing significance of advisors and bodies. Because the PM does not have a department such as the department for education for example he or she is aided by The Prime Minister’s office and The Cabinet Office. Both these organisations help the Prime Minister co-ordinate and influence other government departments. Although extended in umber and responsibility under Blair, Cameron and Clegg they are still far smaller than other departments.
Many of the powers the Prime Minister has are dependent on his or her popularity. In order to increase this popularity the PM has privileged access to the Media. Increasing “political celebrity” is an important mechanism to ensure that even senior cabinet ministers acknowledge that the leader is a key factor in re-election. In addition to courting the media the PM also controls communication with them. This means that “Spin” and “news management” can control (to an extent) the flow of information that the public receives. However, “bad news” is often hyped by the media and scandals can seriously damage the reputation of the PM.
Prime Ministerial power comes from a number of sources; the conventions, laws and departments regarding the office itself along with the power of the media and the perception that the Prime Minister is the “head of government”. In many senses the British Government is “ Prime Ministerial Government” rather than a “cabinet government”. However, there are constraints on the power of the PM.