The best shows and movies about British 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.

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'The Iron Lady' (2011) - 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.

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‘The Iron Lady’ (2011) - If anything, watch ‘The Iron Lady’ for Streep’s magnetic performance, which won her the Best Actress Oscar in 2012.

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‘Frost/Nixon’ (2008) - 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.

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‘Frost/Nixon’ (2008) - It was the Watergate scandal that ultimately led to Richard Nixon's resignation. He was the only American president to ever do so.

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‘The Queen’ (2006) - 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.

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‘The Queen’ (2006) - Helen Mirren is a force in ‘The Queen’, with an Oscar-winning performance for the history books. Michael Sheen stars as Tony Blair.

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‘Yes Minister' (1980-84) - 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

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'Yes, Prime Minister’ (1986-87) -

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

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‘The Last King of Scotland’ (2006) - 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).

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‘The Last King of Scotland’ (2006) - Turns out Amin was a cruel leader, persecuting certain ethnic groups and supporting terrorist hijackers.

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‘The Crown’ (2016-2023) -

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

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‘The Crown’ (2016-2023) -

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

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‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’ (2013) - 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.

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‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’ (2013) - ‘Long Walk to Freedom’ also spotlights Mandela’s relationship with then-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (Naomie Harris).

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‘Suffragette’ (2015) - Mulligan is joined by Meryl Streep and Helena Bonham Carter in this political drama.

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‘Suffragette’ (2015) - Carey Mulligan stars as Maud Watts in ‘Suffragette’, which focuses on the women’s battle for suffrage in the UK.

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‘Wolf Hall’ (2015) -

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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‘Wolf Hall’ (2015) - Cromwell was a statesman who became King Henry VIII’s chief minister. By modernising the government, he changed Britain forever.

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‘Hyde Park on Hudson’ (2012) - This British film follows Bill Murray as US President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

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‘Hyde Park on Hudson’ (2012) - During the drama, Roosevelt visits the British royal family and desperately tries to hide his extramarital affairs.

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‘The Special Relationship’ (2010) - “Never underestimate the politics of friendship”. ‘The Special Relationship’ focuses on the relations between Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) and Bill Clinton (Dennis Quaid).

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‘The Special Relationship’ (2010) - Bill Clinton is weakened by the Lewinsky scandal, while Tony Blair becomes more and more popular with the British public.

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‘In the Loop’ (2009) - ‘In the Loop’ follows British-American politics, as well as the events surrounding the invasion of Iraq.

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‘In the Loop’ (2009) - Despite sounding heavy, ‘In the Loop’ is a barrel of laughs, with hilarious performances from Steve Coogan and Peter Capaldi.

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‘House of Cards’ (1990) - 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.

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‘House of Cards’ (1990) - 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.

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‘State of Play’ (2003) - 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.

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‘State of Play’ (2003) - The hit series was even adapted into a 2009 Hollywood film, which starred Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck.

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‘The Politician's Wife’ (1995) - 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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‘The Politician's Husband’ (1995) -

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

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