by Peter McDonald | Jan 14, 2026 | Articles, Delivery, Interviews, Leadership and Reflections, Sixth Edition
John Manzoni, business executive-turned Civil Service CEO, talks to Peter McDonald about his time in government and change from the inside In 2014, the Civil Service appointed its first Chief Executive, John Manzoni, a joint billing with the then Cabinet Secretary,... 
by Barbara Woodward | Jan 6, 2026 | Articles, International Perspectives, Leadership and Reflections, Sixth Edition
Barbara Woodward explains why the UN remains vital to the UK’s foreign policy On 10th January 1946, 51 nations gathered in London’s Methodist Hall for the first meeting of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. With the bombed-out buildings of post-war London... 
by Amanda Spielman | Oct 6, 2025 | Articles, Fifth Edition, Leadership and Reflections, Policy Insights
Amanda Spielman, former Chief Inspector of Schools, describes how she approached the challenge at Ofsted “What does impartiality mean and how should it look in practice?” These questions constantly preoccupied me during my seven years as Chief Inspector of Schools,... 
by Peter McDonald | Jun 2, 2025 | Articles, Fourth Edition, Interviews, Leadership and Reflections, The Top Articles of 2025
In this edited summary of an extensive discussion in Spring 2025, Peter McDonald talks to one of Whitehall’s most senior civil servants of the last 15 years about the lessons she took from being at the centre of government, and having a ringside seat during Brexit and... 
by Alex Thomas | Mar 10, 2025 | Articles, Leadership and Reflections, Third Edition
Alex Thomas looks back at the venerable series’ effect on our perceptions of the Civil Service Dorothy Wainwright is a minor character in the Yes, Minister universe, but she is one of the sharpest. We meet her in the first series of Yes, Prime Minister where... 
by Peter McDonald | Dec 10, 2024 | Articles, Interviews, Leadership and Reflections, Second Edition
In this summary of an extensive discussion in the autumn, Peter McDonald talks to the former Permanent Secretary to the Treasury about responding to crises, working with Ministers, solving problems and other reflections from a multifaceted career Terry Burns...
