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One of the problems with Philip was the extent to which his background as a quangocrat made him rather vulnerable. With a career entirely composed of regulating professions he was not a member of (doctors then lawyers), his job prospects were always uniquely and obviously dependant on the next political appointment. In his position, if you allow yourself to be forced out or - to use the correct employment lawyer terminology - constructively shit-canned, how will you ever get another job? I assume this, along with light duties and the significant zeros on his paycheque, is why he clung on like grim death to his job when any responsible person in public office (which, let's be clear, this is) would have resigned over Axiom Ince.

I find it difficult to tell if Rapson is in a better position. If she has been a genuine civil servant (and not a quango person with zero responsibility) that is probably a good sign.

What I still fail to understand is how a salary of £400k can possibly be justified, _especially_ for someone with zero experience of legal professional regulation or legal practice. This is modern university vice chancellor levels of stupidity. You could make a solo practitioner with years of actual experience of dealing with the SRA very happy for half that money.