What was your highlight of 2025?
AGO is small but sits astride the tenth biggest bit of Whitehall by headcount in the Law Officers’ Departments (‘LODs’), including Crown Prosecution Service, Serious Fraud Office, Government Legal Department, His Majesty’s CPS Inspectorate and AGO itself. It can be a struggle here to be sufficiently persuasive in making the case for delivery on ministerial and government priorities. My highlight this year was therefore seeing through (as senior responsible owner) the Spending Review settlements and a related policy, strategy and comms review, which saw us collectively – working with great colleagues across the LODs – take some hard decisions but also make the case for what we do and what we can change for the better.
What was the hardest part of being a leader in 2025?
If we in the civil service do not reform ourselves, others will (quite rightly) do it instead. As a leader, I feel strongly we have to be determined in making the case for positive change and then delivering it – and that is hard.
What are the main challenges facing your department in the coming year?
Showing we can improve public services and, inside government, continuing to make the case for serious reform and being clear that there are risks, but quite possibly equal or greater risks to inaction.
Which celebrity or historical figure would you choose to turn on the Christmas lights in your town – and why?
I’m originally from a small and beautiful town which guards the border – Dumfries, home of Queen of the South FC and the originator of the deep-fried pizza (try it if your arteries dare). Given that heritage, I would have to choose Rabbie Burns, who did his best work in my town. As a leader or lawyer, the famous Burns maxim often comes to mind: O wad some Power the giftie gie us / to see oursels as ithers see us! (He clearly hadn’t heard of 360 degree feedback.)