Edwina Currie, Matthew Parris and Ian Hislop lead a cast of politicians and journalists sharing personal memories of Cecil Parkinson and the scandal that ended his political ambitions – a secret affair with his secretary Sara Keays that lasted 12 years and would threaten the stability of the Conservative government. A story of power, politics and personal consequences.
On the eve of the 1983 General Election, millionaire politician Cecil Parkinson had it all. He was charming, popular and handsome – Margaret Thatcher’s suave lieutenant. Under Parkinson’s Chairmanship, the Conservative party was heading towards another electoral success, and Cecil was tipped to take up a cabinet top job.
But in Fleet Street, rumours were rife that Cecil had a secret lover, his secretary Sara Keays, who was now pregnant. Their 12-year affair would be revealed in a sensational media storm which overshadowed the 1983 Conservative Party Conference and forced Parkinson to resign in disgrace. He was consigned to the political wilderness with no prospect of return, whilst his former mistress Sara Keays was relentlessly pursued by the media.
Thatcher never gave up on her golden boy and four years later, Parkinson’s political career was resurrected. But behind the smooth façade, he spent decades locked in a legal battle with his former mistress Sara Keays, trying to stop any public mention of their daughter, the child he had never met.
Credits
Director Jonathan Stiasny
Executive Producer Nancy Bornat
Head of Production Nicholas Franklin
Online Editor Dominic McMahon
Commisioning Editor for Channel 5 Denise Seneviratne
Broadcast Details
This programme will be broadcast on:
1st May 2024 at 9pm on Channel 5.
