Leigh was a civil servant for some 38 years, latterly as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions from 2005 until his retirement at the end of 2010. Since retiring he has held a number of part time roles in the private and not for profit sectors. He is currently the Vice Chair of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust; trustee and Senior Independent Director of Fair4All Finance which aims to make affordable finance more widely available; Honorary President of the homelessness charity, St Mungo’s; and a visiting fellow at Greenwich University. Leigh is a member of Watford United Synagogue and a lifelong supporter of Watford Football Club.