Bernard Woolley

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Sir Bernard Woolley GCB, MA (Oxon)
Derek Fowlds as Bernard Woolley in Yes, Prime Minister
First appearance	"Open Government"
Last appearance	"The Tangled Web"
Portrayed by	Derek Fowlds (original) Chris Larkin (2013 revival)
In-universe information
Occupation	Principal Private Secretary, Permanent Secretary

Sir Bernard Woolley, GCB, MA (Oxon), is one of the principal characters in the celebrated British sitcom Yes Minister and its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister. As a Principal Private Secretary to Jim Hacker, who transitions from Minister to Prime Minister, Woolley is a civil servant caught between his responsibilities to his political boss and his loyalty to the bureaucratic establishment, represented by Sir Humphrey Appleby. Woolley’s character is noted for his remarkable intelligence, diplomacy, and moral sensitivity, which often leave him navigating a tightrope between the conflicting agendas of the politically driven Hacker and the institutionally conservative Sir Humphrey. While his role is to support Hacker, Woolley’s innate honesty and belief in public duty frequently place him in awkward positions, as he struggles with the pressure to sometimes obfuscate or even manipulate information at the behest of both Hacker and Appleby. This makes Woolley the moral compass of the series, subtly highlighting the ethical challenges within government. His humour, typically delivered with dry wit and subtle irony, often serves to lighten tense moments and highlights the absurdities within the government’s bureaucracy. He was originally portrayed by Derek Fowlds in the two series. In 2013, Chris Larkin took on the role for a brief revival.