In a strange bit of timing, last year’s Tory Party leadership race between Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Andrea Leadsom and ultimate victor Theresa May is to get the BBC docu-drama treatment this weekend.
Less than a fortnight after the election which saw Prime Minister Theresa May lose the party’s majority in government amid talk of ANOTHER leadership battle, the BBC will tell the story of how, a year ago and hot on the heels of the Brexiters’ triumph in the referendum, David Cameron vacated the arena - leaving the space for the next Conservative leader.
His successor was presumed to be Boris Johnson, the man credited with swinging it for the Leavers in the party-splitting campaign. But, as history recalls, it was not to be, with his supporter Michael Gove abandoning his wingman position to stand himself, forcing Boris to go back on any ambition to lead. Both men fell, leading the way clear for a woman to lead the party, either Theresa May or Andrea Leadsom.
Based on extensive research and first-person testimonies, this dramatised narrative goes beyond the headlines to lay bare the politicking and positioning, betrayals and blunders of this extraordinary political time. The programme also features key interviews with people who were intimately involved in the campaigns of the main contenders.
Will Barton takes the role of Boris, with Jacqueline King co-starring as Theresa May. Michael Gove will be played by Daniel Casey, with Cate Fowler as Andrea Leadsom.
History moves quickly. As of this week, both Michael Gove and Boris Johnson remain in the Cabinet, with Michael Gove restored on Sunday, following Theresa May’s reckoning at the polls last week. Andrea Leadsom is no longer in the Cabinet, having been made Leader of the House of Commons in the Cabinet re-shuffle.
This programme is part of a series marking ‘Brexit - One Year On’, and will be aired on Sunday 18June at 9pm on BBC Two.