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A close up of Yvette Cooper's ministerial portfolio. It says 'Secretary of State Home Office' on it.

Ministers Reflect

Interviews with former ministers on the realities of the role and how to be effective in government.

Our Ministers Reflect series of interviews includes more than 150 conversations with former ministers from the UK and devolved governments. They discuss the reality of being a minister, reflect on what they wish they had known about the job before they began, and offer advice to new ministers taking on the role.

Our interviews are regularly used by civil servants, policy makers and academics to inform their work.

Our quote bank compiles some of the best insights from our interviews, categorised by topic.

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Displaying 51 - 60 of 180
01 OCT 2021 Interview
Danny Kennedy

Danny Kennedy

Danny Kennedy reflects on his time as minister relations within the Northern Ireland executive and assembly and the challenges of cross-party working.

28 SEP 2021 Interview
Kirsty Williams

Kirsty Williams

Kirsty Williams discusses her time in the Welsh government, being a lone Liberal Democrat minister and the challenges raised by the Covid pandemic.

27 SEP 2021 Interview
Ken Skates

Ken Skates

Ken Skates reflects on his time in the Welsh government following the EU referendum and during the Covid-19 pandemic.

15 SEP 2021 Interview
Claire Sugden

Claire Sugden

Claire Sugden reflects on her time as justice minister for Northern Ireland and her experience of being an independent member of the executive.

14 SEP 2021 Interview
Stephen Farry, former Northern Ireland executive minister

Stephen Farry

Dr Stephen Farry was interviewed on 14 September 2021 for the Institute for Government’s Ministers Reflect project.

10 SEP 2021 Interview
Mairtin O Muilleoir

Máirtín Ó Muilleoir

Máirtín Ó Muilleoir reflects on his time in the Northern Ireland executive, implications of the EU referendum, and the 2017 collapse of the executive.

22 JUN 2021 Interview
Andrew Lansley

Andrew Lansley

Andrew Lansley reflects on the development of the 2012 Health and Social Care Act, and on its legacy on the NHS.

12 FEB 2021 Interview
Baroness Fairhead

Baroness Fairhead

Baroness Fairhead was interviewed on 12 February 2021 for the Institute for Government’s Ministers Reflect project.

26 JAN 2021 Interview
Andrew Murrison

Andrew Murrison

Andrew Murrison discusses the particularities of the Ministry of Defense and the Northern Ireland Office.

11 JAN 2021 Interview
Nick Hurd, former government minister

Nick Hurd

Nick Hurd reflects on his experience working in five departments, for three prime ministers, over nearly a decade.