People are strange.

Having been involved in local politics here in Toronto for some 20 years, I think that most politicians lie.

Most people only take an interest in politics here when something has gone really wrong, and they want a change.

They still believe the same lies(i.e that you can cut taxes, balance the budget and deliver acceptable public services and have clean government)if presented by a new group. Most people are self-involved and lazy.

I find politicians (particularly young aspiring politicians) take themselves too seriously. No one takes you seriously, everyone hates you.

I think there is a dearth of worthy leaders in the world to-day and yes, maybe we deserve the politicians we get if we elect them. However, is there really a choice and if someone comes along like Mrs Prichard with her utopian values, does power eventually corrupt?

Yes, as someone has remarked, ‘it is only a TV series’ but it has certainly given my husband and I (by the way, the actress’ portrayal of the Queen was dreadful) lots of food for thought.

I hope that a second series will follow.

I don’t remember hoteliers being up in arms when Fawlty Towers hit the small screen although most of us could relate to the characters, type of hotel and service portrayed and to suggest that “the voter” can change the face of british politics in the way that Mrs. Pritchard did is to ignore the restrictive and stifling nature of our democracy that only pays lip service to genuine choice.

The series is great fun and for those of “us” who care to check what REAL people think about the series and the policies of Mrs. P. then they need look no further than the poll to be found on the Purple Alliance website asking who is in favour of the Pritchard ban on the use of private cars on Wednesdays. Currently the poll is running at 78% in favour.

Long may Mrs. P. bring a smile to our faces and for those who switched off after ten minutes of the first episode – it’s very much a question of your loss, not ours.

If her loyalty is with her husband, as what is expected of a ‘good’ wife and mother, she will not be able to stay true to her principle of never lying to the public, which is probably the main reason why the public ‘voted’ for her (I know it’s only TV!!). By initially trying to conceal it – because she had been ‘innocent’ – she also wants to protect the country and her own role in it. Stability is needed most to actually change politics. The least thing now needed for the country is more turmoil.

If however she leaves him, she would immediately be perceived as power hungry, disloyal to her husband, (public’s perception?); and especially she would very likely not been able to convince people that she had had no idea in the first place. Which again would probably make her a selfish person as she should have known about his problems anyway – as a good wife!! Of course this would also upset the public.

She clearly hopes that the deception can be controlled but learns within these 24 hours that once you give in to corruption the snowball starts rolling. But if she resigned then the voters’ trust would also be made a mockery of.

And yes, in the UK voters are not nearly as person-centred as in the US, but you just need to look at how ‘important’ the figure of Tony Blair has become to politics.

To summarize it: Mrs P needs to decide between her family or the British public. Wherever her solution lies, she will always feel that she has let down one side. It would be just too easy in her eyes to ‘blame’ her husband for being weak.

And this is in my viewpoint the charme of this series, that often we can only stick to some of our principles and that we constantly need to adapt those. However, your statement, Richard, of ‘power corrupts’ of course cannot be ignored, and I wonder where the BBC let Mrs P head towards. If she starts or actually already has started to think that it is only her person who can achieve what she thinks what the public wants (as if the public had only one opinion i.e. hers) then ….

I have enjoyed the series, however, more from a point of view of how a person combines the often conflicting issues of work, family and personal fulfilment rather than from a political viewpoint as this can always only be oversimplified.

Boringly enough, I expect the BBC will find a way out with Jane’s virtue intact.

But isn’t that what Harry Perkins does in “A very British Coup”….. And look what happens there

I had hoped (against hope as it turned out) that on learning the truth she would in fact stick to her principles and tell everyone about it, calling a general election to see if the people still trusted her (with possible cliff-hanger outcome).

But no.

Instead she decided to keep it covered up (in spite of all her scorn about “politicians” who lie to keep things covered up) and worse was willing to give in to corruption in order to keep it covered up. And by the end she seemed to be actively considering divorcing her husband so that she could keep the premiership.

Power, indeed, corrupts.

There is *still* the narrow opening that actually she’s going to stand by her husband and will tell the people at the start of series two – but that still doesn’t get away from the fact that for 24 hours she was quite happy to go along with abuse of her power.

Mrs Pritchard isn’t like other politicians in Britain – she really is corrupt and self serving.

Shame.

As a light comedy/drama it’s excellent, ok if you nitpick it’s totally innaccurate.

But from all of the people I’ve spoken to about it, nearly all would like a PM that idealistic, down to earth & in the words of one lady “Does give a dog’s left ******* about the people!!”

Now we find that she knows about her husband’s dubious dealings (laundering money 15 years hence, under pressure), how will she handle this, resign, divorce him or try to cover it up for the sake of looking “at the bigger picture” and keep doing a good job?

Well how would you handle it?
I’d divorce him, more for the fact he showed a distinct lack of trust & respect for me in not telling me, than my own anger at the act of laundering the money in the 1st place..

We all think someone else (maybe even yourself) could do the job of PM better than the present one, but could you do it?
I’d like to think I could, but wouldn’t because I think it would kill my homelife, as it seems to be doing to Mrs Pritchard.
I have the knowledge of what it’s like working for the NHS, having two disabled children and one who is “Gifted & Talented” according to teachers, I’ve worked in care homes, psychiatric units, and worked as a teaching assistant. I have also been a branch secretary for the LibDems in the South West.

I wish I had the ‘testicular fortitude’ as it were to take the bull by the horns & do what my old friend & local LibDem councillor suggested & run for council!
But I am a commited mum and wife, and I have no desire to relegate those commitments to the back burner. Well certainly not until my kids are all a lot older…
So I guess you may well see the real Mrs Pritchard one day….lol

Someone mentioned Mrs Pritchard was a utopian PM, of course she is, but her ideals embody everything most of us want.

A safer, cleaner, happier and more respectful world than the one we currently occupy.

But the problem is that just like the showmanship and extravaganza that is now so much part of British politics, Mrs Pritchard is simply more of the same – she’s an actress in a show, someone that we want to trust and believe in but we can’t because we know she’s fake.

Until we stop worrying so much about how people look on camera, and until we stop bullying people with the guts to say what they really think, politics in this country will continue to alienate the very people that would do a good job.

So the concept of Mrs Pritchard is all well and good, but how and where are we going to find the real one?

Captain Sensible
Blah! Party Leader – http://www.blahparty.org

After reading most of this drivel I was finally pleasantly surprised to see someone who appreciates the programme for what it is – Entertainment!

As entertainment I thought it was very good too. I am amazed that people who have not even watched the programme can be bothered to write here and then criticise as well!