Westminster's Secret Service

Overview

Whips pride themselves on their secrecy and discretion. Reporter Michael Cockerell uncovers their shadowy world and reveals how they operate. How close to reality is the fictional Chief Whip Francis Urquhart, in the drama series House of Cards? Government Whips can make or break ministers and ensure they know all the secrets of the private lives of their fellow MPs. One Tory MP claims that the Whips are a gestapo, but another says they are democracy's unsung heroes - as necessary for Parliament as sewers are for civilisation.

Top cast

Michael Cockerell

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Rupert Allason

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Joe Ashton

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Eric Clarke

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Geoffrey Dickens

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Stephen Dorrell

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Jim Dowd

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Iain Duncan Smith

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Tim Fortescue

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Derek Foster

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Tristan Garel-Jones

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Will Howie

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Nigel Lawson

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David Lightbown

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John Major

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Gordon McMaster

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Robert Mellish

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Michael Neubert

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Jon Owen Jones

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Cecil Parkinson

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Details