Being prime minister can be a lonely job. Everyone wants your attention, your approval and a say in the decisions you make. But when the fanfare dies down, it’s you holding the pen and making the biggest calls.
Fortunately, every prime minister has one person at their side: their principal private secretary. Peter Hill was Theresa May’s PPS from 2017 to 2019, as well as her sherpa for the G7 and G20 summits. As the most senior civil servant in No 10, he was there for the private conversations, difficult decisions and encounters with some of the world’s most powerful leaders.
