To take the blame, mostly, as far as the show is concerned. Hacker even says it in one episode, I think the one about the civil service pay rise (or maybe the one about civil service honors). Going from memory:

Sir Humphrey: Civil servants are paid but a modest wage. Hacker: Modest? You make more than me. Compared to who? Sir Humphrey: Comparable positions in industry. Hacker: In industry, when you do something wrong, you get the boot. In civil service, when you do something wrong, I get the boot.