Hacker Ministry

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The Hacker Ministry is the fictional British governing administration of the Right Honourable James "Jim" Hacker, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as portrayed in the classic British sitcom, Yes, Prime Minister.

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[edit] Tenure of government

The tenure of Hacker's government began in the mid-1980s and ended at some unknown point, as there was no firm conclusion to the series. Hacker was shown becoming Prime Minister in the episode "Party Games," a 1984 Christmas special set over Christmas and New Year at an unknown date. When Yes, Prime Minister began in 1986, he had been Prime Minister "for three days"; in a later episode his wife remarks "you were a back-bench MP only five years ago." Assuming Mrs Hacker is being exact rather than semi-rhetorical, this is difficult to square with his becoming a minister in an episode broadcast in 1980 (but filmed before the 1979 general election), after some months if not years on the Opposition front bench.

Paul Eddington, who portrayed Hacker, died in 1995, and Hacker shares the same birth and passing dates. Hacker did assume a position in the House of Lords after his Premiership (as Baron Hacker of Islington), so one can assume that the Prime Minister lost a general election, or resigned.

[edit] The government

Hacker's party holds a parliamentary majority in the House of Commons. Listed below are the members of Hacker's Cabinet, as much as is disclosed during the airing of the series.

Information is also reaped from the novelisation. It should be noted that information contained in the novelisation does not always correspond precisely with the happenings in the television show, perhaps for the sake of continuity (e.g. although there is a new Foreign Secretary in Yes, Prime Minister, the book notes that the Foreign Secretary from the Yes Minister episode "Party Games" still holds the post).

Consequently, this list is by no means complete or comprehensive, as the names of those holding many portfolios in Hacker's government were never revealed or discussed. It is somewhat curious that the portfolio of Minister for Administrative Affairs, the focus of Yes Minister, is not discussed at all in Yes, Prime Minister, nor even who succeeded Hacker in the post.

[edit] Her Majesty's Government

The Rt. Hon. James Hacker, Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.
The Rt. Hon. James Hacker, Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.

Note: persons asterisked (*) indicates they were named only in the novelisation

[edit] Cabinet of the United Kingdom

[edit] Junior Ministers

[edit] Former Ministers

  • Duncan Short, former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs; the novelisation notes Duncan holds this post throughout the series
  • Paul Sidgwick*, former Secretary of State for Defence
  • Hugh (surname unknown)*, former Secretary of State for Defence
  • Tom (surname unknown)*, former Secretary of State for Employment
  • Dudley Belling, former Secretary of State for Employment
  • Leslie Potts, former Minister for Sport (prior to his promotion to Minister of State for Health)
  • Dr. Peter Thorn, former Minister of State for Health

[edit] Her Majesty's Civil Service

[edit] Departmental Permanant Secretaries

[edit] Former Permanent Secretaries

  • Sir Norman Block*, former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence
  • Sir Norman Coppitt*, former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence

[edit] Downing Street Advisors and Staff

[edit] Senior Officials

[edit] References

  • Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn
  • The Complete Yes Prime Minister by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn