Watched the first two (of three) episodes of A Very British Coup (also available on YouTube) last night.

First broadcast in the summer of 1988, when socialist Tony Benn came close to being elected as deputy leader of the Labour party, then in opposition to Margaret Thatcher’s Tory government.

Radical socialist and Sheffield Wednesday fan Harry Perkins becomes the UK prime minister, with financial backing for his government’s economic policies from the state bank of Russia after the US, CIA, Labour “moderates” and the British establishment conspire to subvert the democratic will of the people.

Plenty of echoes in today’s political environment, and great acting from Ray McAnally, Keith Allen and others. Doesn’t seem dated at all.

Some things never change.