This first programme focuses on Stanley Baldwin, Winston Churchill and Neville Chamberlain, and the General Strike, the abdication crisis and war with Germany.
Winston Churchill was regarded with suspicion by many in the Conservative Party. Rejected by the electorate in 1945, Churchill was determined to regain power and started his second stint as prime minister in 1951. Churchill's reluctance to hand over the reins caused tension in his relationship with his successor, Anthony Eden , who was ill, tired and angry by the time he took over.
The period between Harold Macmillan 's ruthless ascent to power and Edward Heath 's fall was characterised by internal plots, rivals jockeying for power, sexual scandal, international crises and crippling labour disputes. When the party was rejected by the electorate in 1974, the party dictated that a change was needed - though no one then appreciated how fundamental that change would prove to be.
This final part covers the period from Margaret Thatcher's election as party leader in 1975 to the Tories' defeat in the 1997 general election, which ended 18 years of Conservative government. The programme also includes an exclusive interview with former prime minister John Major.