Andrew is Clerk of Procedural Practice at the House of Lords. He writes:

I started as a Fast Stream Clerk in 1984. I graduated in Classics with no idea what to do next, took the Civil Service exams and was offered this.

I don’t regret it. Career highlights to date were 6 years as Clerk of Legislation (including Brexit and Covid), 6 as Finance Director (the last generalist before this post was professionalised) and 3 seconded to the Cabinet Office as Private Secretary to the Government Chief Whip. It was a solemn and special privilege to work on the Lying-in-State of the late Queen in 2022. Along the way I took a Masters in Public Administration with the Open University.

My personal mission statement when I started was to “help great people do great things”. That was naive but at least I saw that staff in Parliament do something important. I came to understand what: we help keep this a free country, where government can govern and is held to account. I’m proud that we did that even under pandemic conditions, through teamwork, creativity, rigorous thinking and hard slog. The picture was taken at a rehearsal for hybrid sittings in June 2020.

I haven’t finished yet and, as I write in August 2025, there is more to do. With the rest of the public service, we are seeking savings and efficiencies. Like all workplaces, we face the opportunities and challenges of AI. We are managing world-famous historic buildings and seeking to progress the Restoration and Renewal Programme. And the House’s membership will change soon, with contested and unpredictable constitutional and cultural consequences. 

At home, I am committed to community action and organisation, and my best friends include some I made in Trinity Choir.