Here's the next of the profiles of the characters that you'll be meeting in The Politician's Husband later tonight. The new drama series, starring David Tennant and Emily Watson, explores the shift in power and fortunes of a political couple when a husband becomes more successful than his wife.
This time we meet fellow MPs Bruce Babbish and Marcus Brock
Bruce Babbish
Played by Ed StoppardBruce has been Aiden and Freya's friend since their University days and is the person that Aiden thinks he can most count upon to support him in his bid for the party leadership.
Bruce chose a political career, not out of ideology but
because it suited his Machiavellian nature and lust for power and its
trappings.
For him the fun lies in the chase, in second guessing your
opponents. Bruce lacks Aiden’s likeability and people skills and he knows
it. That’s why Aiden, like others before him, had to be sacrificed on the altar
of Bruce’s ruthless ambition.
David Tennant on Bruce Babbish
Another key character is a politician called Bruce Babbish,
played by Ed Stoppard. He and Aiden have known each other for many, many years. They've come up through the ranks together, though Aiden is certainly seen as
the senior of the two. And Bruce is apparently right behind him, fully expected
to serve in an Aiden Hoynes cabinet and to be part of his inner circle. So at
the start of the story, it’s very much Bruce and Aiden who are preparing for
this big moment – this moment of assassination. But, as with many things in
politics, Aiden quite quickly discovers that Bruce’s friendship and loyalty aren't necessarily all they seem. It becomes clear quite quickly that Bruce has
leadership ambitions of his own, which have been subsumed in the wake of
Aiden’s much more obvious route to power. It all happens within the first few
minutes of the series so I don’t think it’s giving too much away to say that
Bruce ends up backstabbing Aiden.
Marcus Brock
Played by Roger Allam
A veteran of Westminster
and a survivor. His job as Chief Whip means he knows where the bodies are
buried and doesn’t hesitate to dig them up when its politically expedient to do
so.
But he hungers for higher office before he is considered to
be a Yesterday man – hence his unholy alliance with Bruce.
Watch episode 1 of The Politician's Husband on BBC Two
tonight from 9pm
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