▲Margaret Thatcher was one of the UK's most controversial prime ministers. Meryl Streep stars as the polarising politician, who is faced with Brixton riots, miners’ strikes and Brighton bombings.

▲If anything, watch ‘The Iron Lady’ for Streep’s magnetic performance, which won her the Best Actress Oscar in 2012.

▲This British-American production recreates the famous interview between former president Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) in ‘Frost/Nixon’, and British journalist David Frost (Michael Sheen), in which they discussed the events of the Watergate scandal.

▲It was the Watergate scandal that ultimately led to Richard Nixon's resignation. He was the only American president to ever do so.

▲When Princess Diana’s death shook the world in 1997, Queen Elizabeth had to wrestle with Prince Charles and Tony Blair to make an appropriate royal response.

▲Helen Mirren is a force in ‘The Queen’, with an Oscar-winning performance for the history books. Michael Sheen stars as Tony Blair.

▲Who could’ve guessed that arms sales and counter surveillance could be so funny? This ‘80s sitcom was even voted by MPs as the greatest political comedy of all time

▲James McAvoy stars as Nicholas Garrigan in ‘The Last King of Scotland’. He’s a Scottish doctor who journeys to Uganda and becomes a physician for President Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker).

▲Turns out Amin was a cruel leader, persecuting certain ethnic groups and supporting terrorist hijackers.

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This Netflix series follows Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy), from her coronation to tackling various political scandals.

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Prime Minister Winston Churchill features heavily in the first series. There’s deceit, betrayal and a sprinkle of thermonuclear drama.

▲Idris Elba stars as Nelson Mandela in this political drama. It follows the life South African revolutionary, from his early education to becoming President of South Africa.

▲‘Long Walk to Freedom’ also spotlights Mandela’s relationship with then-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (Naomie Harris).

▲Mulligan is joined by Meryl Streep and Helena Bonham Carter in this political drama.

▲Carey Mulligan stars as Maud Watts in ‘Suffragette’, which focuses on the women’s battle for suffrage in the UK.

▲Cromwell was a statesman who became King Henry VIII’s chief minister. By modernising the government, he changed Britain forever.

▲This British film follows Bill Murray as US President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

▲During the drama, Roosevelt visits the British royal family and desperately tries to hide his extramarital affairs.

▲“Never underestimate the politics of friendship”. ‘The Special Relationship’ focuses on the relations between Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) and Bill Clinton (Dennis Quaid).

▲Bill Clinton is weakened by the Lewinsky scandal, while Tony Blair becomes more and more popular with the British public.

▲‘In the Loop’ follows British-American politics, as well as the events surrounding the invasion of Iraq.

▲Despite sounding heavy, ‘In the Loop’ is a barrel of laughs, with hilarious performances from Steve Coogan and Peter Capaldi.

▲Long before the US Netflix series, ‘House of Cards’ was a hit British show during the ‘90s. The show centres on spin and corruption in Westminster.

▲Ian Richardson starred as Francis Urquhart, a cunning MP who ascends to power. Netflix were sure to keep the lead character’s “F.U.” initials.

▲John Simm and David Morrissey star in ‘State of Play’, a miniseries which follows a newspaper’s investigation into the death of a political researcher.

▲The hit series was even adapted into a 2009 Hollywood film, which starred Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck.

▲This three-episode series centres around MP Duncan Matlock (Trevor Eve), who is the focus of a tabloid scandal after its revealed he has been cheating on his wife, Flora.

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Writer Paula Milne returned to the same themes almost 10 years later, with ‘The Politician’s Husband’, which starred David Tennant and Emily Watson.

Also check out the world leaders who are big on social media.

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Mark Rylance stars as Thomas Cromwell in this incredible series. He even won the Best Actor BAFTA for his stunning performance.

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Sequel ‘Yes, Prime Minister’ follows Prime Minister James Hacker (Paul Eddington), as he tackles cabinet reshuffles and double-crossing spies.

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British politics can be pretty riveting stuff. As the UK has just elected a new prime minister by a landslide victory, it's only a matter of time until we see these events play out in TV and film. From 'Frost/Nixon' to 'Yes Minister', politics has always made good material for the screen. Take a look at some of the most memorable political dramas on British TV and film.

The best shows and movies about British politics

Just in time for the new prime minister's election

05/07/24 por StarsInsider

MOVIES Politics

British politics can be pretty riveting stuff. As the UK has just elected a new prime minister by a landslide victory, it's only a matter of time until we see these events play out in TV and film. From 'Frost/Nixon' to 'Yes Minister', politics has always made good material for the screen. Take a look at some of the most memorable political dramas on British TV and film.