04.11.02
Sixsmith
and Kosminsky on Labour's jitters about new ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ drama
As
the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ prepares to screen a controversial new two-part drama that
goes behind the scenes of Labour HQ and Number Ten, its director
Peter Kosminsky tells next week's Radio Times that the government
did not want this programme to be made.
"They
did everything they could to obstruct us," says Kosminsky.
"A letter was sent out to every person working for the Labour
Party, instructing them not to co-operate with us in any way. I
was told this categorically, by a very senior member of the Labour
Party publicity machine."
The
Project deals with events from Labour's defeat in the 1992 general
election to the end of Tony Blair's first term of office in 2001,
and focuses on the ill-fated careers of fictional New Labour activists.
Martin
Sixsmith, who left his job as the Department of Transport's director
of communications earlier this year also reveals to Radio Times
that he'll be watching the drama with great interest. "They
are slightly paranoid," he says of Labour's so-called spin-doctors.
"I was a civil servant, meant to be impartial, and there were
these party-political spin doctors coming in as political advisers.
Going public about some of their practices led to my downfall. The
spin doctors swung into action with a smear campaign. I don't think
it's overstating it to say that this is a threat to democracy."
Kosminsky
praises the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ for their assistance in bringing this drama to the
viewing public: "The film is a brave thing for the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ to have
done," he says. "This is not a trivial matter."
The
Project begins on Sunday, November 10 at 9pm on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½1.
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