Final words ringing in deaf ears

Before Sir Jon Shortridge retired from his position as Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Assembly Government [April 2008] he had a few words to share with staff:

Since I became Permanent Secretary, we have worked hard to become more responsive to democratic political leadership, more focused on delivery and more dynamic in the way we operate. This has been underpinned by strong governance and there has never been any significant criticism of our organisation for the way in which we have spent public money or undertaken our responsibilities.

As was explained by one observer at the time, "Spending time with your head in the sand is not marginally better than with it up your own ar*e".

[Pippa Wagstaff is currently on a blogging break]