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Post 08 Jun 2011, 4:05 pm

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Has anyone watched this mini-series about the rise of power of Conservative Party chief whip Francis Urquhart?

I'm not entirely sure about how I found out about it. I think I was watching Yes Minister on youtube when a clip of House of Cards appeared in the side menu.
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Post 08 Jun 2011, 4:23 pm

It's a great series.

"You might say that, I couldn't possibly comment" is a perfect line for the character of Urquhart
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Post 08 Jun 2011, 5:52 pm

It has been quite an interesting series thus far. Since finding a clip on youtube a day or so ago, I have downloaded the first two seasons (each about 4 videos).

I wonder if elected politics is really like this...
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Post 09 Jun 2011, 12:26 am

The programme was based on a series of books by a Tory MP. He wasn't happy about the third series (as it showed the Thatcher funeral), but otherwise it's fairly close to his story.

So perhaps Conservative internal politics is like that (although as you go through it, I think you'd see some of it was pretty unlikely)
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Post 09 Jun 2011, 8:39 am

Michael Dobbs wasn't it ? He was obviously an ex-MP when he wrote the books.

And no, in my experience Westminster is nothing like that. There's never been any Chief Whip who was even half so competent as Francis Urquhart.
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Post 09 Jun 2011, 1:11 pm

Sassenach wrote: And no, in my experience Westminster is nothing like that. There's never been any Chief Whip who was even half so competent as Francis Urquhart.


But are they all sleeping with one another? ...the great affairs of state happen in cabinet.
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Post 09 Jun 2011, 1:22 pm

Maybe he wasn't an MP, I can't find where he was MP of, so probably not. He was however closely involved with the 1979 Tory government being a speechwriter, SpAd, Party Chief of Staff and later Deputy Chairman. He's now a Lord.

Even so, Sass is probably right - it's not that realistic, but is a good story and it's easy to believe that some of it is based on real events and people. I expect a lot of politicians were trying to see if they were in the books.

A Tory MP was picked up by the police last night after allegations of sexual assault, so maybe the bonking bit is true
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Post 09 Jun 2011, 2:22 pm

Well according to Wiki:

After gaining his Ph.D 1975, Dobbs returned to England and began working in London for the Conservative Party. He was an advisor to Margaret Thatcher, who was then leader of the Opposition, from 1977 to 1979. From 1979 to 1981 he was a Conservative MP speechwriter. He served as a Government Special Advisor from 1981 to 1986. He was the Conservative Party Chief of Staff from 1986 to 1987. He survived the Brighton Bombing in 1984 at the Conservative Party Conference. Considered a masterful political operator, he was called "Westminster’s baby-faced hit man", by The Guardian in 1987. In the John Major government, he served as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1994 to 1995.


The phrase 'MP speechwriter' is a bit ambiguous but I assume it just means he wrote speeches for MPs, so yeah, he never was an elected politician. I always thought he was...

But are they all sleeping with one another? ...the great affairs of state happen in cabinet.


Funnily enough, at the time he would have been writing the books John Major would have been having his affair with Edwina Currie, but I very much doubt Dobbs knew anything about that.
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Post 09 Jun 2011, 2:52 pm

No, everyone thought he was diddling some cook didn't they? A couple of satirical magazines got sued after the law was changed so Major could take out a libel case.

ME - I think that the sex was put in there for booksales/viewers.
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Post 09 Jun 2011, 6:49 pm

I’ve now watched the complete trilogy. (that was quite something).

The interesting part about the affairs is that the wives seem so understanding. Makepeace’s wife seems to ignore the matter and Urquhart’s wife actively encourages it during her trips to the country.
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Post 11 Jun 2011, 3:14 pm

I told you about House of Cards abuot a year ago, but I recon you don't remember that. Urquhart is super cool at any rate :D


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