Character Profile: James "Jim" Hacker

Jim Hacker (Paul Eddington) was an academic political researcher,polytechnic lecturer and editor of a newspaper, Reform, before entering Parliament, where he apparently spent a good deal of time in Opposition before his party won the general election. In Yes Minister he is the Minister for Administrative Affairs (a fictitious ministry of the British government) and a cabinet minister. Hacker received his degree from the London School of Economics for which he is frequently derided by the Oxford-educated Sir Humphrey. His early character is that of a gung-ho, but naïve, politician, bringing sweeping changes to his department. Before long, Hacker begins to notice that Civil Service tactics are preventing his planned changes being put into practice. As he learns he becomes more sly and cynical, and uses some of the Civil Service ruses himself. While Sir Humphrey initially held all the aces, Hacker now and again plays a trump card of his own.

Throughout Yes Minister, Hacker is often portrayed as a publicity-mad bungler, incapable of making a firm decision, prone to potentially embarrassing blunders, and who elicits bad press and stern lectures from the party apparatus, particularly the Chief Whip. In Yes, Prime Minister Hacker quickly develops statesmanlike skills. He practises more grandiose speeches, dreams up his "grand design", and hones his diplomatic skills, and these nearly all land him in trouble.