The prime minister's role in policy-making is paradoxical in that, although seemingly very powerful, prime ministers in fact have few rights to set policy unilaterally. It is then important to discover how prime ministers exercise influence over policy. Some studies suggest that it is through using resources within policy networks. From agenda-setting theory, this article proposes that prime ministers influence other actors by structuring the choices they face. This is illustrated using an example of a highly contested policy: the decision in the UK to support the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. It is shown that to influence two crucial actors, parliament and the cabinet, the prime minister, Tony Blair, and his office selectively released and withheld information in order to structure the choice facing these actors.
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