The drama series, first shown in 1988, was adapted from Chris Mullin's (now a labour MP) book of the same name. I was reminded of it by seeing in the TV listings that it was to be repeated. So I thought it might be worth laying out some of the ideas in the script of how undemocratic forces can usurp a Govt to see if anybody recognises situations from the wrold today.

Set in the late 80s, it portrays a Britain where a strongly socialist (yea, it's fiction alright) Govt was elected with a strong anti-nuclear stance. However it finds ranged against it an entrenched set of powerful forces determined to thwart their "treasonous" intentions by any means necessary; up to and including the "very British" coup itselfgb, aka gentlemanly blackmail.

These forces include the unelected para-state which comprises the upper echelons of the civil service, the military, the media, the police and judiciary and finally and most crucially the secret services who the new govt rapidly find are far more powerful than Parliament. Yet all of these owe allegiance to the Monarch rather than the elected Prime Minister and leads to powerful people asserting the right to act on Her behalf in order to protect their understanding of Britain. All to the detriment of the will of the people.

Also, acting as a backdrop to these machinations, and more controversially, is the portrayal of Britain as an occupied country. The presence of American armed forces on British soil is (a) deeply embarrassing (how impotent is a country that doesn't even feel able to defend itself?), and (b) deeply undemocratic.

These forces conspire to bring about a series of crises that test the Govt almost to destruction.

The book finishes differently from the highly recommended TV adaptation. Without giving the ending of the latter away, the final showdown between the PM, Ted Perkins, and his intended nemesis, the head of the secret service, is political drama at its most thrilling & powerful.

I understand that most here will never see it, but given the recent stories coming from Italy about secret service machinations, blackmail and secret deals, the recent accusations and counter accusations of corruption in France, let alone all that is now being revealed about the manipulations of information by the White House and its prescience and resonance is obvious. See it if you can, or hire the DVD.