Official Secrets (Yes, Prime Minister)
Encyclopedia
“Official Secrets” is the tenth episode of the BBC
comedy series Yes, Prime Minister
and was first broadcast 10 December 1987.
is chairing a Security Clearance Committee, which is discussing the publication of his predecessor’s memoirs. The Solicitor General
is happy for the latest chapter to go unchallenged, but Hacker is less so. The previous Prime Minister
has cast aspersions on his successor’s ability when Minister
for Administrative Affairs. The Solicitor General states that as they can’t suppress anything on grounds of security, the PM will have to seek redress through the courts if he believes that he has been libelled. However, even if he accepts the Solicitor General’s reasoning, Hacker is adamant that Chapter 8 must not be published. He insists on this despite the fact that an earlier, more complimentary chapter had been leaked to the press even though it contained confidential material and a leak enquiry was never held. Hacker claims that "Anybody could have leaked that chapter to the press", to which Sir Humphrey Appleby
, the Cabinet Secretary
, smiles smugly and agrees.
The next morning, not only has Chapter 8 also been leaked, but Hacker’s attempt at censoring it has as well. An infuriated PM summons Sir Humphrey Appleby
, Bernard Woolley
and his Press Secretary
, Bill Pritchard, to the Cabinet Room. Hacker instructs Bill to tell the assembled journalists (non-attributably) that Chapter 8 is a “pack of lies” and that his predecessor is going “gaga.” Bill paraphrases it into more acceptable language and leaves. Meanwhile, the PM is determined to find the person responsible for the leak.
Hacker has dinner with Derek Burnham, one of the newspaper editors who ran the story. The PM formally asks him to retract it and print “the truth,” but Burnham refuses—unless he has hard evidence. Much to Bernard’s horror, Hacker promises him the minutes
of the Security Clearance Meeting, which will bear out his stated position.
His conscience troubled, Bernard goes to see Sir Humphrey and informs him that the minutes of the meeting are not yet written, and that the PM has asked for them to be falsified. Sir Humphrey is nonchalant, and explains that the purpose of minutes is not to provide a written account of a meeting, but instead to protect people. They allow a pause where anything regrettable said in the heat of the moment can be safely put to one side and not appear in the official record of events. In this instance, the PM said that he accepted the Solicitor General’s reasoning—and that is all that need be mentioned. Bernard leaves with a much clearer conscience.
A few days later, Bernard is walking up to the front door of 10 Downing Street
when he is ambushed by a posse of Fleet Street
hacks. They ask him why it has taken so long to publish the minutes of the PM’s meeting, when Hacker had cleared them days ago. Bernard gives the Official Secrets Act
as the probable reason for delay and, before he has realised it, has told the press what is tantamount to the PM being above the law.
Bernard seeks a word with Hacker, and confesses his blunder. The PM is exasperated and calls in Sir Humphrey and Bill Pritchard. The Cabinet Secretary
attempts to defend Bernard by clarifying that some breaches of the Official Secrets Act could be construed as “unofficially official,” while an off-the-record press briefing might be described as the opposite. Hacker is unimpressed and Bill suggests that they distract the journalists by feeding them an alternative story. Sir Humphrey suggests the expulsion of 76 Soviet diplomats
, which is standard civil service
practice for killing press stories. In the meantime, Hacker wants his leak inquiry “rigorously” pursued: something for which there is almost no precedent.
When the leak inquiry reports, the culprit is found to be the Energy Secretary’s press officer, who was present at Hacker’s meeting, and apparently acted under hints from the secretary, whom the ex-PM had mentioned as being the most competent Minister of the previous administration. Bernard and Sir Humphrey privately agree that they cannot allow the prosecuting of a fellow civil servant and when Hacker insists upon it Sir Humphrey informs him that if the case is to go ahead, then there will also be calls to investigate the earlier leak, which, in all probability, was of Hacker’s doing. He protests that it was “harmless,” but as Sir Humphrey points out, either both leaks are harmless or neither. Since sacking the Energy Secretary and/or his press officer would also cause more trouble than it’s worth, they both agree that the best course of action is to expel 76 Soviet diplomats.
minister Richard Crossman
in 1974.
The theme of a civil servant leaking information which contradicts the version given by ministers (the unnamed official at the Energy department) and the desire of the civil servant for a "clear conscience" (Bernard Woolley
) is similar to the case of Clive Ponting
. Ponting was prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act 1911
for leaking information which indicated that when the British sank the Argentine
battleship
General Belgrano
during the Falklands War
it did not actually constitute a threat to the British Task Force sent to retake the islands.
The expulsion of 76 Soviet diplomats recalls the Heath
Government's 1971 decision to expel 105 Soviet diplomats on charges of espionage.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
comedy series Yes, Prime Minister
Yes Minister
Yes Minister is a satirical British sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn that was first transmitted by BBC Television between 1980–1982 and 1984, split over three seven-episode series. The sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, ran from 1986 to 1988. In total there were 38 episodes—of which all but...
and was first broadcast 10 December 1987.
Plot
Jim HackerJames Hacker
James George Hacker, Baron Hacker of Islington, KG, PC, B. Sc. , Hon. D. C. L. was a fictional British politician. He was the Minister of the fictional Department of Administrative Affairs, and later the Prime Minister, in the 1980s British sitcom Yes Minister and its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister...
is chairing a Security Clearance Committee, which is discussing the publication of his predecessor’s memoirs. The Solicitor General
Solicitor General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, often known as the Solicitor General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Attorney General, whose duty is to advise the Crown and Cabinet on the law...
is happy for the latest chapter to go unchallenged, but Hacker is less so. The previous Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
has cast aspersions on his successor’s ability when Minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
for Administrative Affairs. The Solicitor General states that as they can’t suppress anything on grounds of security, the PM will have to seek redress through the courts if he believes that he has been libelled. However, even if he accepts the Solicitor General’s reasoning, Hacker is adamant that Chapter 8 must not be published. He insists on this despite the fact that an earlier, more complimentary chapter had been leaked to the press even though it contained confidential material and a leak enquiry was never held. Hacker claims that "Anybody could have leaked that chapter to the press", to which Sir Humphrey Appleby
Humphrey Appleby
Sir Humphrey Appleby, GCB, KBE, MVO, MA , is a fictional character from the British television series Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister. He was played by Sir Nigel Hawthorne. In Yes Minister, he is the Permanent Secretary for the Department of Administrative Affairs...
, the Cabinet Secretary
Cabinet Secretary
A Cabinet Secretary is almost always a senior official who provides services and advice to a Cabinet of Ministers. In many countries, the position can have considerably wider functions and powers, including general responsibility for the entire civil service...
, smiles smugly and agrees.
The next morning, not only has Chapter 8 also been leaked, but Hacker’s attempt at censoring it has as well. An infuriated PM summons Sir Humphrey Appleby
Humphrey Appleby
Sir Humphrey Appleby, GCB, KBE, MVO, MA , is a fictional character from the British television series Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister. He was played by Sir Nigel Hawthorne. In Yes Minister, he is the Permanent Secretary for the Department of Administrative Affairs...
, Bernard Woolley
Bernard Woolley
Sir Bernard Woolley GCB is one of the three main fictional characters of the 1980s British sitcom Yes Minister and its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister. He was portrayed by Derek Fowlds.-Character:...
and his Press Secretary
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
, Bill Pritchard, to the Cabinet Room. Hacker instructs Bill to tell the assembled journalists (non-attributably) that Chapter 8 is a “pack of lies” and that his predecessor is going “gaga.” Bill paraphrases it into more acceptable language and leaves. Meanwhile, the PM is determined to find the person responsible for the leak.
Hacker has dinner with Derek Burnham, one of the newspaper editors who ran the story. The PM formally asks him to retract it and print “the truth,” but Burnham refuses—unless he has hard evidence. Much to Bernard’s horror, Hacker promises him the minutes
Minutes
Minutes, also known as protocols, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They typically describe the events of the meeting, starting with a list of attendees, a statement of the issues considered by the participants, and related responses or decisions for the issues.Minutes may be...
of the Security Clearance Meeting, which will bear out his stated position.
His conscience troubled, Bernard goes to see Sir Humphrey and informs him that the minutes of the meeting are not yet written, and that the PM has asked for them to be falsified. Sir Humphrey is nonchalant, and explains that the purpose of minutes is not to provide a written account of a meeting, but instead to protect people. They allow a pause where anything regrettable said in the heat of the moment can be safely put to one side and not appear in the official record of events. In this instance, the PM said that he accepted the Solicitor General’s reasoning—and that is all that need be mentioned. Bernard leaves with a much clearer conscience.
A few days later, Bernard is walking up to the front door of 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
when he is ambushed by a posse of Fleet Street
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
hacks. They ask him why it has taken so long to publish the minutes of the PM’s meeting, when Hacker had cleared them days ago. Bernard gives the Official Secrets Act
Official Secrets Act
The Official Secrets Act is a stock short title used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, India and Malaysia and formerly in New Zealand for legislation that provides for the protection of state secrets and official information, mainly related to national security.-United Kingdom:*The Official Secrets...
as the probable reason for delay and, before he has realised it, has told the press what is tantamount to the PM being above the law.
Bernard seeks a word with Hacker, and confesses his blunder. The PM is exasperated and calls in Sir Humphrey and Bill Pritchard. The Cabinet Secretary
Cabinet Secretary
A Cabinet Secretary is almost always a senior official who provides services and advice to a Cabinet of Ministers. In many countries, the position can have considerably wider functions and powers, including general responsibility for the entire civil service...
attempts to defend Bernard by clarifying that some breaches of the Official Secrets Act could be construed as “unofficially official,” while an off-the-record press briefing might be described as the opposite. Hacker is unimpressed and Bill suggests that they distract the journalists by feeding them an alternative story. Sir Humphrey suggests the expulsion of 76 Soviet diplomats
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
, which is standard civil service
British Civil Service
Her Majesty's Home Civil Service, also known as the Home Civil Service, is the permanent bureaucracy of Crown employees that supports Her Majesty's Government - the government of the United Kingdom, composed of a Cabinet of ministers chosen by the prime minister, as well as the devolved...
practice for killing press stories. In the meantime, Hacker wants his leak inquiry “rigorously” pursued: something for which there is almost no precedent.
When the leak inquiry reports, the culprit is found to be the Energy Secretary’s press officer, who was present at Hacker’s meeting, and apparently acted under hints from the secretary, whom the ex-PM had mentioned as being the most competent Minister of the previous administration. Bernard and Sir Humphrey privately agree that they cannot allow the prosecuting of a fellow civil servant and when Hacker insists upon it Sir Humphrey informs him that if the case is to go ahead, then there will also be calls to investigate the earlier leak, which, in all probability, was of Hacker’s doing. He protests that it was “harmless,” but as Sir Humphrey points out, either both leaks are harmless or neither. Since sacking the Energy Secretary and/or his press officer would also cause more trouble than it’s worth, they both agree that the best course of action is to expel 76 Soviet diplomats.
Themes
The controversy over the publication of a former minister's memoirs (in this case, those of Hacker's predecessor as Prime Minister) is particularly similar to the legal proceedings that surrounded the posthumous publication of the memoirs of LabourLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
minister Richard Crossman
Richard Crossman
Richard Howard Stafford Crossman OBE was a British author and Labour Party politician who was a Cabinet Minister under Harold Wilson, and was the editor of the New Statesman. A prominent socialist intellectual, he became one of the Labour Party's leading Zionists and anti-communists...
in 1974.
The theme of a civil servant leaking information which contradicts the version given by ministers (the unnamed official at the Energy department) and the desire of the civil servant for a "clear conscience" (Bernard Woolley
Bernard Woolley
Sir Bernard Woolley GCB is one of the three main fictional characters of the 1980s British sitcom Yes Minister and its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister. He was portrayed by Derek Fowlds.-Character:...
) is similar to the case of Clive Ponting
Clive Ponting
Clive Ponting is a British writer, former academic and former senior civil servant. He is the author of a number of revisionist books on British and world history...
. Ponting was prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act 1911
Official Secrets Act 1911
The Official Secrets Act 1911 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It replaces the Official Secrets Act 1889....
for leaking information which indicated that when the British sank the Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
General Belgrano
ARA General Belgrano
The ARA General Belgrano was an Argentine Navy light cruiser in service from 1951 until 1982. Formerly the , she saw action in the Pacific theater of World War II before being sold to Argentina. After almost 31 years of service, she was sunk during the Falklands War by the Royal Navy submarine ...
during the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
it did not actually constitute a threat to the British Task Force sent to retake the islands.
The expulsion of 76 Soviet diplomats recalls the Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
Government's 1971 decision to expel 105 Soviet diplomats on charges of espionage.
Episode cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Paul Eddington Paul Eddington Paul Eddington CBE was an English actor best known for his appearances in popular television sitcoms of the 1970s and 80s: The Good Life, Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.-Early life:... |
Jim Hacker |
| Nigel Hawthorne Nigel Hawthorne Sir Nigel Barnard Hawthorne, CBE was an English actor, perhaps best remembered for his role as Sir Humphrey Appleby, the Permanent Secretary in the 1980s sitcom Yes Minister and the Cabinet Secretary in its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister. For this role he won four BAFTA Awards during the 1980s in the... |
Sir Humphrey Appleby |
| Derek Fowlds Derek Fowlds Derek Fowlds is an English actor, known for playing Bernard Woolley in popular British television comedies Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister and Oscar Blaketon in the long-running ITV police drama Heartbeat.... |
Bernard Woolley |
| Antony Carrick | Bill Pritchard |
| Denis Lill Denis Lill Denis Lill is a New Zealand-born British actor.Some of his many film and television roles include Fall of Eagles , Edward the Seventh , Survivors , The Scarlet Pimpernel , as William Knox d-Arcy, the Australian oil pioneer in Persia, in Reilly: Ace of Spies , Rumpole of the Bailey , Mapp &... |
Derek Burnham |
| Jeffrey Wickham Jeffrey Wickham Jeffrey Wickham is a British film and television actor. He is the father of the actress Saskia Wickham.-Selected filmography:* Before Winter Comes * The Breaking of Bumbo * Waterloo... |
Solicitor General |
| Tom Bowles | |
| Sadie Hamilton | |
| James Newell | |
| Michael Shallard | |