When charming Chief Whip Francis Urquhart is passed over for promotion by a new party leader, he hatches a dastardly plot to wreak revenge on each and every one of his colleagues.
Urquhart forges ahead with his plan to bring down the new PM. Meanwhile, the party faithful congregate at the Tory conference in Brighton.
Urquhart's plans to undermine Collingridge reach their conclusion. But Mattie Storin continues to investigate the story, and Urquhart must decide how to stop her.
In the run up to the leadership election Urquhart becomes ever more ruthless. He must eliminate each one of his rivals, but what can he do about Mattie?
Despite being haunted by the memory of the young journalist he murdered on his way to the top, Francis Urquhart is now triumphantly installed in No 10 as Prime Minister. And when he faces criticism from an unexpected quarter, he relishes the prospect of a new campaign.
The King is insisting that politicians should have the interests of the populace more at heart. For appearances sake, Urquhart pretends to take a more temperate stance towards the King's attack on his policies.
Ian Richardson
Francis Urquhart
Susannah Harker
Mattie Storin
Miles Anderson
Roger O'Neill
Alphonsia Emmanuel
Penny Guy
Malcolm Tierney
Patrick Woolton