Yes Minister And Yes Prime Minister -

Initially the Minister for Administrative Affairs and later Prime Minister. Hacker is an optimistic but often vacillating politician whose idealism is frequently subverted by his own desire for votes and career survival.

In Yes Minister , Hacker is the underdog. He loses most battles, wins a few minor skirmishes, and generally ends each episode wearily accepting a compromise that makes no difference. When he becomes Prime Minister at the end of Yes Minister (in the episode "Party Games," a 90-minute special that is a masterclass in backroom dealing), the audience expects a victory lap. Yes Minister And Yes Prime Minister

is the embodiment of the Permanent Secretary. He is the "mind" of the Civil Service. His loyalty lies not with the public or the Minister, but with the smooth operation of the state and the preservation of the status quo. He is the gatekeeper, the obfuscator, and the true master of the department. Initially the Minister for Administrative Affairs and later

"The identity of the official whose alleged responsibility for a given area of departmental activity is currently the subject of a intra-departmental inquiry. That is, the person who normally, you know, opens the file." He loses most battles, wins a few minor

"Unfortunately, the report is currently 'sub-judice', or 'sub rosa', or 'in camera', or whatever the phrase is. I can't remember the exact Latin, but the precise English is that you can't see it."