UK Government and Politics

An Idiot's Guide to Politics

Comedian Jolyon Rubinstein is on a mission. He wants to find out why young people are so disengaged from politics. Is this apathy and ignorance,...

04: Towards a Classless Society? | Class Rule

Michael Cockerell looks at the years from Margaret Thatcher to John Major. Mrs Thatcher succeeded in winning more working-class...

Media Studies - Elections | Bitesize Secondary

This programme looks at television coverage of elections since the 1950s and the different techniques that have been used. It ...

03: Workers' Playtime | Class Rule

Harold Wilson pledged to break up ''the old boy network where blue blood takes precedence over good brains''. But he eventually fell out w...

02: Never Had It So Good | Class Rule

Michael Cockerell continues the story of the class factor in post war politics. This programme looks at the 13 years of Conservative ru...

Backhander: The Poulson Affair

The story of the rise and fall of John Poulson, the architect who built up a vast business empire by bribery and corruption. When he went bank...

General Election 2019 | BBC News at One

After weeks of campaigning, voting is underway in the general election. This morning the party leaders were out casting their ballots...

Episode 2 | The Decade the Rich Won

Insiders from Theresa May's government reveal how attempts at economic reform were stymied by Brexit struggles. Covid-19 threatens the pr...

Episode 1 | The Decade the Rich Won

Since 2008 the wealthiest have 'made out like bandits' while many of us have struggled. Now top insiders from government and finance lift...

The Big, Big Debate | Scotland Decides

An audience of 16- and 17-year-olds quiz key politicians and personalities from both campaigns about the issues that matter to them th...

01: We Are the Masters Now | Class Rule

A four-part documentary series about the effect of class on British political life since the war. Reporter/producer Michael Cockerel...

02: Scotland's Smoking Gun | Referendum Documentaries

Documentary series focused on the upcoming Scottish referendum. This first programme looks at some of the worldwide eve...

Polling day - Buckland

In Buckland, Devon, there are only 30 electors. It is one of the most photo- graphed villages & voting got off to a slow start. Only 3 people voted in...

Polling pooches | Reporting Scotland

Its polling day and dogs at polling stations remain popular. A look at some pooches at the polls!

01: Our Friends in the North | Referendum Documentaries

Allan Little asks whether the Nordic economic model, which marries dynamic, open economies with high public spending ...

13: How the Campaign Was Won | Referendum Documentaries

Following Scotland's historic vote on independence, this programme looks at what went on behind the scenes of both ca...

12: What's in It for Me? | Referendum Documentaries

Laura Kuenssberg meets some of the Scottish working public, and attempts to find out how the outcome Scottish referendum ...

10: The Games People Play | Referendum Documentaries

John Beattie investigates the potential influence a successful Commonwealth Games may have on the way Scots vote in the ...

11: Mind Games | Referendum Documentaries

Documentary in which Ken MacDonald explores the psychological techniques used by both campaigns to influence how people vote in the...

09: Janet's Scotland | Referendum Documentaries

Writer and broadcaster Janet Street-Porter is in Scotland to find out more about the referendum and some of the issues behind...

Episode 1 | Blair & Brown: The New Labour Revolution

Two young MPs, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, are determined to modernise the Labour party against a backdrop of economic ...

Episode 2 | Fight Again: The Long Retreat

Roy Hattersley continues his personal account of the Labour Party's fortunes. The Long Retreat. From the depths of despair in the e...

The Rise of the SNP

Following the SNP's landslide in the general election across Scotland, Sarah Smith charts the party's extraordinary rise. From their humble beginnings as...

02: The Road to Power | Tory! Tory! Tory!

Thatcher's monetarist policies used to combat inflation caused growing dissent even inside the government.

Episode 3 | Fight Again: The Long Retreat

Roy Hattersley chairs a discussion programme on the way forward for the Labour Party. Guests include JK Galbraith, Tony Blair, Ben...

Episode 1 | Fight Again: The Long Retreat

Hattersley traces the development of his beliefs from boyhood in Sheffield, entering parliament after Gaitskell's call to "fight ag...

02: The Rank Outsider | Alan Clark's History of the Tory Party

Winston Churchill was regarded with suspicion by many in the Conservative Party. Rejected by the electorate in...

02: Capital and Culture | Alexei Sayle's Liverpool

Alexei Sayle charts the chequered history of Liverpool from the shame of slavery to the bold new city shaking off the trou...

01: Pride and Protest | Alexei Sayle's Liverpool

Alexei Sayle returns to Liverpool to examine his troubled relationship with the city by meeting those who have played a role...

Episode 1 | A Very English Scandal

Politician Jeremy Thorpe begins a whirlwind affair with a stable hand, Norman Scott. But when the relationship turns sour, Norman becomes ...

03: The Exercise of Power | Tory! Tory! Tory!

This edition describes how Mrs Thatcher rode on her popularity after the Falklands War to roll out a series of radical policies.

01: Outsiders | Tory! Tory! Tory!

The series exploring the history of the people and ideas behind Thatcherism recalls the postwar radicals who gradually attracted supporters...

Mandelson: The Real PM? | Storyville

Documentary following Peter Mandelson in the run-up to the 2010 general election, showing him at his ministry, masterminding the campaig...

04: Shock Therapy | Alan Clark's History of the Tory Party

This final part covers the period from Margaret Thatcher's election as party leader in 1975 to the Tories' defeat ...

03: From Estate Owners to Estate Agents | Alan Clark's History of the Tory Party

The period between Harold Macmillan 's ruthless ascent to power and Edward Heath 's fall was...

01: Gentleman Players | Alan Clark's History of the Tory Party

This first programme focuses on Stanley Baldwin, Winston Churchill and Neville Chamberlain, and the General St...

The Marketing of Margaret | Panorama

Michael Cockerell reports for Panorama on the way Margaret Thatcher's image was created, from 1983.

Episode 2 | Salmond and Sturgeon: A Troubled Union

In the aftermath of the 2017 general election, insiders reveal Alex Salmond's anger at having lost his Westminster seat.

Episode 1 | Salmond and Sturgeon: A Troubled Union

The inside story of the alliance between Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, the transformation of the SNP, and their very p...

Labour's Old Romantic: A Film Portrait of Michael Foot

The political life and career of Michael Foot, former leader of the Labour Party.

The Left Behind

Support for the far right is growing in Britain's post-industrial towns and cities. This factual drama tells the story of a young man who gets drawn into a f...

Assisted Dying Bill Debate: Florence Eshalomi's Concerns | House of Commons

The Labour MP expressed opposition to the bill, emphasizing the potential vulnerabilities of mino...

S03E03: Breaking the Mould | Disclosure

No women of colour have ever been elected to Scotland's parliament in its 22-year-history. Disclosure hears from five women hoping to...

A Very British Deterrent

The story of the remarkable events, power relationships and secret deals done half a century ago to secure Britain's very first submarine-launched n...

Y Lein: Streic Friction Dynamics

Documentary about the Friction Dynamics factory strike, near Caernarfon.

Assisted Dying Bill Debate: Dame Meg Hillier's Opposition | House of Commons

The Labour MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch, Dame Meg Hillier, voiced her concerns regarding ...

Assisted Dying Bill Debate: Dr. Luke Evans' Support | House of Commons

The Conservative MP for Bosworth, Dr. Luke Evans, expressed his support for the bill. Drawing from his...

Assisted Dying Bill Debate: Danny Kruger's Opposition | House of Commons

The Conservative MP strongly opposed the bill, warning that legalizing assisted dying could lead to ...

Assisted Dying Bill Debate: Kieran Mullan's Neutral Summary | House of Commons

As a shadow justice minister, Mullan acknowledged the compelling arguments on both sides, urgi...

Assisted Dying Bill Debate: Sian Berry's Support | House of Commons

The Green Party MP advocated for the bill, highlighting the importance of providing individuals with the ...

Assisted Dying Bill Debate: Kim Leadbeater's Introduction | House of Commons

As the Labour MP who introduced the bill, Leadbeater opened the debate by outlining the bill's p...

How Do We Pay for the Care of our Elderly? | Panorama

Should the state pay for social care for the elderly or should people sell their homes and be responsible for funding t...

Darkest Hour (2017)

As the Nazis advance against Britain's European allies, newly elected prime minister Winston Churchill must decide whether to leave neighbouring countrie...

Margaret Thatcher | Icons

Britain's first female prime minister, Thatcher was marked out not only by her gender, but for pushing through reforms so bold they have shaped the...

Five Days that Changed Britain

Behind-the-scenes story of five days in May 2010 when the UK's political leaders haggled over the next government. David Cameron, Nick Clegg a...

Black Wednesday

Five years ago Britain was in financial crisis. On a day when speculators made fortunes and the Bank of England lost billions propping up the pound, the prim...

Winston Churchill | Icons

From the battlefields of the Boer war, to the blitzed streets of wartime London, Trevor examines the qualities that made Churchill such a towering ...

Keeler, Profumo, Ward and Me

Tom Mangold's inside story of the scandal that rocked Britain, showing what it was really like to live with Stephen Ward as he became the scapeg...

Maggie & Me

A personal recollection, part affectionate, part exasperated, from a man who reported on Margaret Thatcher's leadership from day one, Channel 4's Jon Snow.

Margaret: Death of a Revolutionary

Martin Durkin presents his radical thesis: that Margaret Thatcher was a working class revolutionary, and that she believed capitalism was ...

A Good And Faithful Servant | Dispatches

A look at the role of Bernard Ingham, press secretary to Margaret Thatcher, and the extraordinary influence he wielded throughout he...

Westminster's Secret Service

Whips pride themselves on their secrecy and discretion. Reporter Michael Cockerell uncovers their shadowy world and reveals how they operate. Ho...

S07E02: How To Be a Good Prime Minister | Timeshift

Andrew Marr and a panel of experts assess what it takes to be a successful British premier, based on the performance of t...

01: What Makes Tony Tick | Blair's Thousand Days

Michael Cockerell draws on extensive interviews with the PM and behind-the-scenes footage to analyse what drives Blair, and ...

Heath vs Wilson: The 10-Year Duel

Documentary charting the story of two prime ministers who dominated a decade when Britain changed forever - the 1970s. Featuring interviews...

01: Winston Churchill | Walden on Heroes

The man credited with leading the nation to victory in the Second World War was, according to Walden, arrogant, callous and a milita...

The Marketing of Margaret | Panorama

Michael Cockerell reports for Panorama on the way Margaret Thatcher's image was created, from 1983.

02: The Lady and the Lords | Blair's Thousand Days

New Labour came to power pledging to abolish the 800-year-old right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lo...

01: A Huge Fight on My Hands | The Cameron Years

The events that led David Cameron to call, and lose, the 2016 EU referendum, and the seismic impact of that fateful decision...

02: The Best Is Yet to Come | The Cameron Years

Examining David Cameron's leadership, from his rise to the top of the Conservative Party in 2005 to his 'sweetest victory' at...

Cabinet Confidential

One-off documentary providing an inside view of how Tony Blair and former prime ministers have run their cabinets. Featuring interviews, archive footage...

A Very Singular Man: A Film Portrait of Edward Heath

Edward Heath was one of the most controversial prime ministers of the 20th century. He took Britain into Europe, but was...

01: Lifting the Lid | Inside the Commons

Presented by Michael Cockerell, this series takes an unprecedented look at the heart of British democracy.

Exploring the House of Commons

Michael Cockerell presents a programme of educational short films, taking us behind the scenes in the House of Commons. A unique way of learni...

Joining the Club | Meet the Lords

A look at the larger-than-life characters that populate the House of Lords, one of Britain's oldest, most idiosyncratic and most important ...

03: Party Games | Inside the Commons

In the third episode, Michael Cockerell sees how the traditional three-party system appears to be falling apart at the seams.

02: Upstairs, Downstairs | Inside the Commons

Michael Cockerell examines what goes on backstage at the state opening, when the Queen comes to open the parliamentary year.

04: Reinventing the House | Inside the Commons

In the final episode, battles break out over the future of the House. Plus the ongoing struggle to conserve the palace.

Westminster's Secret Service

Whips pride themselves on their secrecy and discretion. Reporter Michael Cockerell uncovers their shadowy world and reveals how they operate. Ho...

A Tax Too Far | Dispatches

As local authorities prepare to send out the bills for the new council tax, Dispatches reveals how the government spent more than £20 billion to e...

Henry VIII Powers | A to Z of Parliament

BBC Parliament presenters explain integral parts of the parliamentary process.

Whips | A to Z of Parliament

BBC Parliament presenters explain integral parts of the parliamentary process.

Crossbenchers | A to Z of Parliament

BBC Parliament presenters explain integral parts of the parliamentary process.

Supreme Court | A to Z of Parliament

BBC Parliament's Selina Seth presents a guide to the role of the Supreme Court in the UK.

Parliamentary Ping-Pong | A to Z of Parliament

Gary Connor looks at parliamentary 'ping-pong' - the process of how the House of Commons and the House of Lords agree on the f...

Making Laws | Meet the Lords

All bills must be agreed upon by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, otherwise, they won't make it into law.

Independent peers | Meet the Lords

The independent peers or ''crossbenchers'' are not affiliated with any political party but bring experience from a wide range of workplaces.

20th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament | Newsnight

On the 20th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament, Newsnight looks at the difference it has made and what will be ne...

03: The Secret Treasury | The Great Offices of State

Michael Cockerell uncovers the secret world of the Treasury, recounting battles Chancellors have had with their top offi...

02: Palace of Dreams | The Great Offices of State

Michael Cockerell uncovers the secret world of the Foreign Office, blending new footage with rare archive and interviews wi...

01: The Dark Department | The Great Offices of State

Michael Cockerell uncovers the secret world of the Home Office, blending new footage with rare archive and interviews wi...

03: The Network | The Secret World of Whitehall

Michael Cockerell reveals what really happens in the hidden power houses of Whitehall - the cabinet minister's private office...

The Human Rights Act | Daily Politics

This clip explains the Human Rights Act and the potential move to a British Bill of Rights.

The 1975 referendum | Acts and Facts

Professor Vernon Bogdanor delivering a short lecture on the 1975 referendum held to either confirm the UKs membership of the Common Mark...

1911 Parliament Act | Acts and Facts

Professor Vernon Bogdanor gives a short lecture on the 1911 Parliament Act which established the primacy of the House of Commons over th...

Episode 1 | Children of the Devolution

Allan Little discovers how land reform and the repeal of Section 28 changed the lives of different generations of Scots and reflects o...

Episode 2 | Children of the Devolution

Allan Little heads to the pub to discuss how the smoking ban affected different generations of Scots and returns to his old school in ...

Indian Independence Act 1947 | Acts and Facts

Historian Sean Lang delivers a short lecture on the 1947 Indian Independence Act which partitioned British India into the two n...

Military Service Act 1916 | Acts and Facts

Historian Kate Williams delivers a short lecture on the introduction in 1916 of conscription and compulsory military service.

Episode 6 | The Trial of Christine Keeler

Stephen's life hangs in the balance as his sentence is decided. Christine's lie about Lucky Gordon haunts her as she faces trial fo...

Episode 5 | The Trial of Christine Keeler

Stephen Ward is on trial at the Old Bailey. He trusts his friends in high places to help him, but will Christine's lie about Lucky ...

Episode 4 | The Trial of Christine Keeler

Christine's star rises, while Profumo has to face the music. As the powers that be come after Stephen Ward in retribution, friendsh...

Episode 3 | The Trial of Christine Keeler

Pressure mounts and Christine flees to Spain. Profumo orders Stephen Ward to intervene as her story nears publication.

Episode 1 | The Trial of Christine Keeler

Drama about the notorious Profumo Affair. In 1960s London, model Christine Keeler deals with an explosive love triangle, while War ...

Episode 2 | The Trial of Christine Keeler

The shooting at Wimpole Mews leads to press attention, and Christine decides to sell her story. A chill wind begins to blow for War...