Original subtitles

ZAK: 'You're running an op against the chief of Russian intelligence

'while he's on holiday,

'which they would consider highly provocative.

'To justify an op like this,

'Igor would have to be trading top-grade insights with his son.

'Who's your agent in there anyway?'

'She's Mikhail Borodin's Russian nanny.'

200 hours of battery life.

IN RUSSIAN:

He's got nothing to be suspicious about.

INDISTINCT RUSSIAN, LAUGHTER

I think that's Kyril Markov. He's a ruthless bastard.

Who's the poor bastard in our Cabinet with pancreatic cancer?

Igor and Kyril Markov hook you in,

we spend the next ten years chasing a ghost.

Or it's true, and we've just got wind of it.

Emergency statement from the PM.

Given my condition, I feel I owe it to you all to offer my resignation.

I will remain in place until a new leader is chosen.

If a minister running for leadership

has been bribed or blackmailed, we'd be catastrophically exposed.

Before I authorise an investigation into any leading politician,

I'll need concrete evidence.

The mic battery's dead. Lena.

Sweet dreams, eh?

FLOORBOARD CREAKS

SHE GASPS

SHE SCREAMS

Your little Lenochka was spying on us.

And now, she's going to tell me all her secrets.

Go back to your bed.

I'm her boss now.

KYRIL SHOUTS IN RUSSIAN

LENA SQUEALS

Thank you.

You wanted to see me?

I'm assuming the original intel for this Maltese op

came from Cyclops?

Yes. He told me about Igor's annual trips to Valletta.

So that information was a plant. Everything else is, too.

It wasn't. His explanation was entirely credible.

So you're sure of the intelligence. What about him?

It's all in the file.

I've known him since I was a student in St Petersburg.

And 18 years later, he shows up in London,

working undercover at the Russian Embassy.

A senior Moscow intelligence officer apparently looking to switch lanes.

He was already disillusioned. Ukraine was the final straw.

You obviously kept in touch.

We stayed friends. Mm.

Were you ever lovers? No.

Did you want to be?

Not relevant. Did he?

Briefly, perhaps,

but, erm, I was already engaged to Stuart.

So even if we'd wanted to... Ah, I see.

So it's what he might have done but didn't

that makes you so sure of his loyalty.

A moment of weakness, perhaps...

that he chose not to take advantage of?

Isn't that worthy of trust?

We can all lie to someone we love.

And I had you down as an incurable romantic.

This job rather beats that out of you, I'm afraid.

You're one of our best agent runners, Kate,

but a great desk head requires many qualities.

Certainty isn't one of them.

So you're backing Zak?

You need to find out if your friend Cyclops

has been playing you, inadvertently or not.

Or you won't just be the youngest Head of the Russia Desk,

you'll be the shortest-serving, too.

REPORTER: 'Will you run for leadership, Foreign Secretary?'

RYAN: 'Right now, my thoughts are just with Anthony and Jane.'

'But, Foreign Secretary, you've got five days to the election.

'Don't be so coy. You need to get a move on, really, don't you?'

'I think in a situation like this,

'it's very important to maintain our composure as a party.' Mm.

What did C have to offer? Strategic ambiguity.

His speciality.

Meaning we have to prove that we were right, or we're fucked.

Ah. And Echo might be, too.

I'm gonna set up a meeting with Cyclops tomorrow morning

at the London safe house. Sure.

You need to shut that down. Zak's in the building.

Yeah, course, but it's a shame we can't show them this.

Come on.

That's Mr Ryan Walker leaving the NATO conference last night,

after the PM's announcement, by the back door.

No official car. No PPOs.

And no Special Adviser, Melissa Morris.

No, nothing. So I talked

to our Portuguese friends, did a little triangulation,

and this was the drop-off point.

Little villa in the hills. Guess who owns it?

Er, Putin's secret mistress? Close.

Try Dmitri Krimsov's brother-in-law.

Are you serious? Oh, yeah.

So, Mr Walker's response

to the resignation of our Prime Minister

is to go AWOL with the Russian Foreign Minister.

Are you certain that Krimsov was at the villa?

HE SNIGGERS

Well, he got there half an hour before Ryan.

Now, there was another arrival in a taxi from the Lisbon Royale.

I... I haven't ID'd him yet,

but are you ready for the piece de resistance?

Yeah.

The man in the Merc is Lev Amatov,

our cuddly British oligarch.

So, Ryan meets the Russian Foreign Minister off-grid in a...

Hiya.

...off-grid in a get-together

brokered by a billionaire with historic ties to the Kremlin.

Well, I would call that politically suspect.

Otherwise known... as murky as fuck.

Stuart had a night out with Melissa at the last party conference.

He said she seemed disillusioned by working with Ryan.

I should talk to her. Mm.

We need to talk more about this. But not here.

Sure. Do you fancy a cuppa?

Yeah.

If this leaks, Ryan's finished. Mm.

Why take the risk of going in person?

IN RUSSIAN ACCENT: An offer he couldn't refuse.

OWN ACCENT: Or maybe Ryan is the one with the ask.

On which subject,

why would Imogen accept a 200-grand donation

from a man like Lev Amatov?

Well, on paper, you could argue that he's legit.

Right? I mean, Eton, Cambridge,

he's the chairman of Gold Scope Media.

Man's a tech tycoon.

Plus, he's on the board of the British Museum

and the Courtauld Institute, along with Ryan's wife.

Imogen went to this conference in Portonovi two years ago.

Stuart went.

Pretty sure he said that Lev Amatov was there.

Well, there's plenty of dirty money in Montenegro, you know.

It's a shame we can't investigate.

Assuming we follow our orders.

If Zak finds out we're working off the books...

Well, he won't, OK? Not if we get out of his eye line.

Look, as long as you're working on his debrief,

he's not gonna give two shits where I am.

Anywhere in mind?

Yeah. Come on.

It's just round here.

You live so close.

Yeah, well, it means I can wake up whenever I want to.

Come in.

Well, it's close to HQ, and it's off Zak's radar,

so I'll take it.

Right, here's a spare key. Thank you.

It's my partner, Sandy's,

but he's never around, so now, it's yours.

My money is on Ryan declaring first.

Well, if Imogen goes up against him,

Stuart thinks most of the others will back her.

All right, so let's start with the two of them, then.

And if anyone else joins the race, I'll go digging.

Cool? Yeah.

Five days. Better get on with it.

It's gonna be a long night.

IGOR SPEAKING RUSSIAN

IN RUSSIAN:

IGOR SHOUTS IN RUSSIAN

DOOR SHUTS

Are you running an op in Valletta?

Malta's been put on the alert list last night.

It came through at the embassy.

What's the alert about? I don't know.

Did you put an agent in the villa?

I need to go through your tip-off about Igor's holidays in Valletta.

Is there any chance it could be a plant?

Is that why we're here? You think I set you up?

Your bosses do.

The intel from my op was seismic, much bigger than we expected.

And the chief's now worried about blow-back.

What did you find out?

Could you have been set up?

Could anyone know we've got ears in the villa? Not from me.

SHE EXHALES

Kate, you're gonna have to trust my judgment on this.

Unless you think I'd lie to you? Of course I don't.

Try to find out what you can about the red flag on Malta.

It's important. OK.

I'll be in touch in the usual way.

DOOR CLOSES

JULIE: 'Morning.'

When did you last hear from Echo? 'Last night.'

A message saying she hadn't changed the battery in the mic.

It's possible Moscow knows we're watching Igor.

Fuck. How?

I don't know yet, but they've just put Malta on the alert list.

'There was a big police bust on Gozo last night. It was on the news.

'It could be over that.' What happened?

Some fintech company breaching Russian sanctions.

Enough to get Moscow's back up.

You know how they like to think of this island as theirs.

'Maybe.'

But first, we need to make sure Echo's safe.

How close can you get to the villa?

Not that close.

But there's a view from the top of the cliff.

Go there. I'll speak to Rose about this Gozo bust thing.

Don't send Echo any more messages until we've had eyes on her.

Yeah. OK.

I know even talking about immigration

offends your metropolitan sensibilities.

I'd appreciate it if you didn't make an assumption like that.

My point is, it's... it's not a left or a right issue.

I'm a passionate believer in our multi-cultural society,

but it's gotta be protected.

Protected from what?

From being swamped by uncontrolled, poorly managed,

illegal migration.

But only last week,

the Home Secretary said we need migrants to do the jobs

that other people don't wanna do.

Yeah, well, even so,

we've been letting in hundreds of thousands of people a year

for more than a decade without building the homes,

the hospitals or anything else we need to accommodate them.

And does that strike you two as sane?

It's going to be hard to keep the economy moving

with zero immigration and a higher rate of tax of 70%,

which is what you're proposing.

Yeah, on salaries over a quarter of a million pounds.

So, obviously, it would be a great shame to lose you both.

Sinn Fein, this morning, are calling for a referendum

on whether Northern Ireland should leave the United Kingdom.

If you become Prime Minister, would you agree to that demand?

Well... perhaps it's time we asked the English.

They pay for the union, after all.

The UK, in or out?

Foreign Secretary,

is that really how you are launching your campaign,

by playing the dog whistle of English nationalism?

What the hell was all that about?

The right-wing press are gonna lose their shit. Good.

Just shaking things up.

Step away from the middle, maybe catch a wave.

Or you drown, Ryan. We've only got four days.

You wanted to start our campaign with a bang. Well, this is it.

The bang was supposed to be a tough case

on pulling back on immigration,

not throwing petrol on a nationalist bonfire.

It's an election race, Melissa. I have to offer change.

Well, our MPs are gonna hate it.

Yeah, some will. But the party rank and file will agree with me,

more than they'd want to admit.

I get it, course I do.

But the next time you are going disappear all night,

if you could just send me a text, that would be great, thank you.

Sorry. Something came up. 'Well, I hope it was worth it.

'It's absolute chaos here.'

I don't know if you saw that lunatic on GMB this morning

talking about a referendum for the English to leave the UK.

'It's just the populist playbook.'

He can't mean it, can he? 'Well, who knows?'

At least he's put a rocket up Imogen's arse now he's declared.

I mean, she's still on the fence. 'Do you think anyone else will run?'

No, not if she stops dragging her bloody heels, no.

Oh, babe, before I forget,

you know that conference in Montenegro,

the one you didn't wanna go to?

That was a tourist industry junket thing, wasn't it?

Yeah, for hotels. Yeah, we were pitching for investment.

'Why?' Do you remember who set it up?

It's just the Foreign Office are on my back

about reviewing ministers' security abroad.

Like I need the extra bloody admin. 'Yes, I do remember who set it up.'

It was the master of slime himself, Lev Amatov.

He, er... He invited us and sort of random backbenchers.

I mean, me and Josh told Imogen she shouldn't bother,

but she was adamant for some reason.

'Did you get the investment?'

No, course we didn't. The only thing I got was that food poisoning.

Remember the food poisoning I got?

Oh, yeah, the famous squid.

'From the squid, yes, disgusting. Ugh! Please...'

I've gotta go.

Oh, listen, don't forget, tonight, it's Fiona's parent-teacher thing.

We are under strict instructions

to NOT wear anything embarrassing, OK?

I mean, as far as she's concerned, that's impossible. Love you.

All right. Love...

DISCONNECT TONE ...you too.

I spoke to GCHQ and Langley.

They haven't heard any chatter coming out Malta

other than the Gozo bust,

so it probably is the reason Moscow flagged it.

"Probably" isn't enough.

We'll regroup as soon as Julie's got a closer look at Echo.

What's the news on her brother?

We've moved him to a hostel in St Petersburg.

As soon as you pull her out,

we'll have him on his way to the border.

CAMERA WHIRRS

CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS

That's a nice brochure.

Look at the date. Look at who was there.

It was two weeks before Lev made his first donation

to Harry Conrad's charity.

Hmm. Well, that's not a very subtle quid pro quo, is it?

Exactly.

So why not declare it?

To stop the press from finding out she's got ties to an oligarch.

It's not a very good look for the Home Office.

So, are you gonna ask her about it?

I think I'll start with Angela White.

PHONE RINGS

It's Julie.

What's the news? 'I can't see her.'

I've only got a limited view on the terrace,

but Matti is giving Sandro his breakfast.

Stay where you are

and call me the second you see anything different.

Well, if it is what you say it is,

it would be a game-changer, wouldn't it?

No, I think we should wait.

Timing's not right at the moment, but...

OK. OK, yeah, thanks. OK, I'll call you later.

Right.

A video involving a certain female politician's

just been brought to my attention.

OK. What... kind of video?

We'll just have to use our imaginations.

What? A sex video of Imogen Conrad?

Shh. It sounds implausible, but I have it on good authority.

Well, how do you know it's gonna leak?

I don't. I've just been tipped off that it might.

By who? A journalist.

I don't know. It doesn't matter who, does it?

We just need a strategy in case it does.

Of course, I sincerely hope it doesn't.

It'll have nothing to do with us, will it, Ryan?

You wanted to see me?

Mrs White, I'm not sure if you remember me.

Of course I do.

You gave no quarter to the committee,

which strikes me as a good quality in your line of work.

Let me sign you in.

I think it's better if we take a walk. Is that OK?

I was at the Montenegro conference because Lev asked me to be,

and I made no secret of that.

To save you the trouble, he is a donor to my local party.

It seemed like a reasonable ask.

Did the Home Secretary discuss her goals for the trip?

I barely saw her. I assumed she was there as a favour to Lev, like me,

but she didn't seem to be taking any of it very seriously.

What do you mean by that? She wasn't at any of the talks.

She seemed... let's put it this way, otherwise occupied.

With what?

She spent an awful lot of time horsing around with her aide.

There were two of them, I think.

One of them was laid up with a tummy bug.

It was the other one. John? Josh. Joshua Long?

Good-looking chap.

Maybe there was nothing going on.

But I can't say I've ever entirely trusted her.

Look, you're putting words in my mouth.

I didn't say I was ruling her out,

but that doesn't mean that you can rule her in.

No, of course she isn't behind Ryan Walker's referendum bollocks.

X? Come on, the only thing that X is a guide to

is Elon Musk's artificially inflated testosterone.

See you.

Can I have that for my manifesto? We can't hold out for much longer.

We need to get out there ahead of Ryan, OK?

I need more coffee.

What do you think I should do, love?

I always said Ryan's smarter than he looks.

He's a wrecking ball.

And he hasn't even started on us yet.

Then you need to stop him.

Simon, hello.

Is the Foreign Secretary taking mind-altering drugs?

Yes, sadly, he is a full-blown crack addict now, Simon (!)

Melissa? It's Kate.

You used to work with my husband, Stuart, at The Guardian.

We met at the Christmas party.

Oh, you're the civil servant.

Home Office, or was it with MOD? I actually work for SIS.

We're investigating an issue with the Foreign Secretary's security.

When was that? Yesterday.

We were running a routine op in Lisbon,

and we noticed he left the summit venue

without his protection officers.

I wasn't aware. No?

So there's no cause for concern over his security detail?

Not as far as I know, no.

He went to meet Lev Amatov, is that right?

A reception at a private villa.

Oddly enough, we can't seem to find a record

of the event on the official schedule.

Well, Lev's a personal friend of the Foreign Secretary,

that's no secret.

What about the fact that Dmitri Krimsov was there, too?

That's a massive allegation.

You'll have to speak to the Foreign Secretary about it.

I'm sure he'd be keen to avoid a diplomatic scandal,

given the fact he's just announced his leadership bid.

What do you expect me to do about it?

Talk to me, Melissa.

Does Ryan often go AWOL? Does he shut you out of things?

He might be running the country soon.

Did Stuart tell you to come to me?

Of course not. This is between us.

I've gotta go. If you want to talk more...

In confidence, of course.

CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS

PHONE CHIMES

Thank fuck.

RINGING TONE

PHONE RINGS 'I have eyes on her.'

She's playing cards with Sandro, sent a text saying she's fine.

'It all looks normal.'

I told you not to send her any more messages.

'I didn't.'

Then why is she answering a question you didn't ask?

Can you send me the pictures?

I'll run back now and take a look at them.

'On it now.'

Stuart.

You all right?

Did you tell your wife,

who you forgot to mention works for SIS,

what we discussed in Manchester in confidence?

I may have mentioned something to her about you being unhappy, yeah.

What happens at conference stays at conference.

Isn't that the golden rule, mate?

It's nothing that anyone couldn't have guessed, is it? Eh?

I'm sorry, though. Really, I am.

So, what, did Kate say something to you?

I don't want things to turn dirty, Stuart.

That's not why I got into politics.

Then why are you working for Ryan Walker, then?

Eh? How's that make sense?

He's got no business being anyway near Downing Street,

and you know that, and I know that you know.

Listen to me. Listen.

There is always room for someone like you in our office.

I know that to be true.

I know that Imogen would snap you up. I know it.

Just think about it.

Just have a think.

Stop. Go back one.

You see that on the edge of frame?

They're playing cards. Why would they need security?

PHONE RINGS

'I just got another text. She's requesting a meet.'

"I hope your mum is OK, it would be good to see her soon."

'We can see a security guard in one of your shots.'

So?

I think she's been blown.

She's answering questions we didn't ask her, she's being chaperoned,

and now, all of a sudden, she wants a meet.

OK. What next?

I'll talk to Zak.

But I think I'm gonna have to go back.

You think her meet request is a set-up?

I don't know, but something feels off.

And now, we know Malta's on the alert list as of last night.

Can you authorise a team to extract her?

HE SIGHS

It's too risky, Kate.

Best case, we'd get you there in two days.

But we need the Foreign Secretary to sign off putting weapons

through the diplomatic bag.

I don't have two days. I'd have to go unarmed.

HE SCOFFS

I can't advise that as your SO.

Igor's security will be armed to the teeth,

and there might be more on the way.

I'm sorry, but the answer's no.

We've got no idea how it's gonna go down out there,

which is exactly what Moscow always wants.

We're just gonna have to hope you're wrong and...

...Echo hasn't been blown.

I'm not leaving her there.

He made the right call. There are too many unknowns.

I made a promise to her and Alexei.

I know how much your agents matter to you. It's why you got this job.

But you have to know when an op goes beyond your control.

I'm not leaving her there, Rose.

Suppose Zak's right, you walk into a trap.

I can handle it.

Surely, your priority has to be... Excuse me.

...has to be protecting the Russia Desk?

If any of you were compromised out there,

it would take weeks to get a new team up to speed.

By which time, Moscow's asset would be in Downing Street.

It's a chance I'll have to take.

KATE SIGHS

You take a break, OK?

Go home, see your kids.

Shit, Fiona.

Here she is. I told you she'd be here.

Nice of you to show up. Sorry I'm late, darling. Sorry.

What have I missed? It's the same old story.

She's got a fantastic brain

when she's focused. PHONE DINGS

But she is too easily distracted.

Wow, OK. Erm, that's Imogen. She's... She's in.

OK. Erm, right, so, I'm gonna shoot off.

So we have done everything apart from history and politics.

And this is the queue for the A-level choices.

Stu, I'm gonna have to work late tonight as well.

Love you, darling. Bye. Bye. PHONE BUZZES

MAN: Next? Mum!

Sorry. I'm all yours. Hello.

So, do I have £8,000? 8,000.

Thank you. Eight-fifty. 9,000.

Nine. 10,000.

So, I have £10,000

for this gorgeous Matisse lithograph. Do I...?

11,000. Thank you, sir.

12,000.

Do I have 13,000? 14,000.

Shall we round it up, Mr Amatov? 15,000 for such a great cause?

LAUGHTER

Sold. £15,000 to the kind gentleman.

APPLAUSE

So sorry, James, he's been held up.

Can we push it back for 20 minutes, please?

Well, right now, he's the only candidate,

so of course he's gonna win.

Melissa thinks it'll play as an act of toxic masculinity.

Melissa's a millennial puritan.

Trust me, anyone with ovaries

would just be bitching about Imogen's figure.

Either way, it'd force her to pull out.

If she's got the balls to stand against you.

But still, it's a hefty price for her to have to pay.

I don't know how bad this tape actually is.

If you wanna win, play everything in your hand.

Half measures aren't gonna get you anywhere.

So sorry to interrupt.

I have to drag him away for The Times interview.

You can do it in the car. Oh, OK. All right.

I'll see you later. After you.

SHE LAUGHS

Please tell me the tip-off about the tape

didn't happen at the Lisbon party.

No, of course not. Does it exist?

Was it filmed by the Russians? Yes, it exists.

And I told you, I've got no idea who filmed the bloody thing

or who's in it with her.

OK, if it's real and there's any hint

that you were behind the leak, you know that it would sink us?

It would sink her first, surely. Not necessarily.

A personal smear like this could make a heroine of her.

Especially if the Kremlin are behind it.

There's no evidence of that. Doesn't matter.

The right-wing press will have a field day.

They'll say you're like one of Moscow's fellow travellers,

like the old left.

Was Lev Amatov... at the Lisbon party?

He's Amanda's friend, not mine.

He's also got a Russian passport, family ties to Putin.

Yes, he's also a British citizen

who earnt his money here fair and square.

Do you know, we're happy enough to use his money

to prop up public spending.

He just dropped 50 grand in there on student scholarships.

Was there anyone else there that I should know about?

HE SIGHS

You are making a mountain out of a molehill with this.

OK, you took a huge risk.

I'm sure people already know that you went off without your PPOs.

Oh, come on! What people?

There were 50 EU ministers staying at the same hotel, Ryan.

Look, can we just leave the cross-questioning

to the journalists, please?

PHONE RINGS I've really gotta take this!

John, hi, sorry, I'm up to my ears.

Now? You're landing this on me now?

I'm a public figure, in case you hadn't noticed. Jesus Christ.

John. John.

No, no, no, construction was meant to be YOUR expertise,

offering finance was mine.

Do not get in this car until I tell you.

If Mylar goes under now, I am seriously pissed off.

Listen to me, John.

If you get fired, you better keep your fucking mouth shut.

You can sulk all you like,

you're not spending the weekend at Jay's.

Not after what your teachers said tonight.

Why can't I see my boyfriend when I'm not at school?

If you make a mistake, Fiona... I'm not stupid.

You've known this guy for five minutes.

Have this conversation with Dad, see what he says.

Dad's not the paranoid workaholic.

I know I've been away a lot recently.

I think you like getting away from us.

It's bad timing, but I have to go away again tomorrow.

PHONE CHIMES

Oh, for God's sake. I'll get the bus home.

RYAN: I have no idea what you're talking about.

If you expect me to pull a million quid out of my arse like a feather,

you have got another fucking thing coming.

'Robert Peston.' Are you alone?

'Yeah, I am.'

Well, this is strictly off the record...

Here he is, Monsieur Laurent Sauverre.

He's a Swiss national.

I was able to track him from Krimsov's Lisbon villa

back to his hotel.

Who is he? I have no idea yet.

But the man doesn't show up on our radar -

or anywhere else, for that matter.

Well, that tells us something. Mm-hm.

So, erm... you have any more thoughts about Malta?

A few. Yeah?

We deliberately made the approach to the church long.

So even if this meet is a set-up,

the Russians won't want her to deviate from our plan,

which will stretch them.

And that's my chance.

What, you intercept her en route?

I've got some ideas about that, too.

Oh, fuck. Er, yeah, I'm... I'm gonna need a drink.

HE SIGHS

I think this is still good.

Yeah. Do you want one?

No, thanks. RAV YAWNS

Are you gonna tell Julie that you're thinking of going rogue?

There's every chance they'll fire me, Rav.

I can't do that to either of you.

Forget about the suits.

You can't do this on your own.

You should go and make friends with your bed.

Get some rest and then decide

whether you want to throw your entire career away.

If you stop drinking that shit now.

I'll let you know in the morning, yeah?

'Our understanding is that with four days to go,

'the Home Secretary, Imogen Conrad,

'will join the leadership contest tonight.

'We're expecting her announcement within the next...'

Are you ready? Who's out there?

Everyone. Harry?

You've got this, Imo.

Wish me luck.

Good luck.

JOURNALISTS SHOUT

It is my great and timely pleasure to announce my campaign

to be the next leader of our party and of our great country.

PHONE BUZZES

'..to join the waiting press conference.

'And we need to cut away from there now

'for some pretty sensational news

'about the other leadership candidate.

'In the last few minutes, our Political Editor, Robert Peston,

'has broken a bombshell of a story, to put it mildly,

'concerning the Foreign Secretary, Ryan Walker.

'The allegation, that Mr Walker slipped away

'from his personal protection team

'at the NATO summit in Lisbon this week

'and went to a party

'with the Russian Foreign Minister, Dmitri Krimsov,

'hosted by frequent donor

'to numerous British political parties Lev Amatov.'

ROBERT PESTON: 'This is an absolutely extraordinary story.

'Our Foreign Secretary, Ryan Walker,

'having a private meeting with his Russian opposites.'

OK, we've got an hour to calm the storm, or this race is over.

Yeah, I think you should stay quiet.

No, you shouldn't stay quiet. They'll crucify you.

We just... We just say it was some freelance diplomacy.

Pre-Ukraine, that might have worked, but now?

You got any better ideas?

In this current climate, it looks shady as hell.

Yeah, well, maybe I had no choice but to go to that fucking party!

Yeah, well, I hope you hang whoever leaked it.

Oh, don't worry, I'm on it. OK.

News At Ten are asking for you.

If you come clean now, perhaps we can salvage this.

Call bloody Peston. Tell him to get here immediately.

Too late. We won't make the end of the show.

Well, then tell them to extend it.

OK.

'Well, as we said, we've extended the programme tonight

'after we were told the Foreign Secretary

'wanted to give us some context

'for our explosive revelations earlier.

'And I'm pleased to say Robert is with him right now. Robert.'

Thanks, Tom. Foreign Secretary,

you had a private meeting, at a Lisbon party of all things,

with the Foreign Minister of Russia, a hostile state.

You were not accompanied by any officials,

there are no notes of the meeting.

This was a clear breach of protocol,

national security has been put at risk.

Your colleagues say to me that you should resign

and give up all ambitions to be leader of their party.

I won't be resigning any time soon, Robert.

Why on earth not?

In the business of diplomacy, it's sometimes worth taking a risk,

even a personal one.

What on earth were you thinking of?

Look, it was a social gathering, right,

hosted by a very well-known British party donor,

where Dmitri Krimsov was a guest.

We shared... Did you expect Krimsov to be there?

I did expect Krimsov to be there.

So why didn't you take your officials?

Well, it's not a widely publicised fact

that Dimitri Krimsov lost his only son last year.

And it's, erm... it's fairly well-known

that my wife and I, erm...

Sorry.

Er, we lost our only child, also a boy...

...erm, three years ago.

Sorry. And I... I wanted to express my private sympathies to him

in the hope that we might find some common ground,

man to man, if I'm... RYAN LAUGHS

...if I'm allowed to say that these days.

I imagine I speak for everybody watching.

Look, you know, obviously, I feel, for you,

enormous compassion, given the tragedy that you suffered.

Thank you. But what do you think you actually achieved?

How many people do you know would be bold enough to walk in that door

and sit down with Dimitri Krimsov?

How many people do you know

would try to better that diplomatic relationship

between Europe and Russia?

I'd like you name someone in the Cabinet

that you would have that confidence in.

'Thank you, Robert. Robert Peston there with the Foreign Secretary.'

PHONE BUZZES 'And that was quite some interview.

'This leadership race is certainly hotting up.

'Let's move on to some of the day's other news now,

'and having promised repeatedly...'

KNOCK ON DOOR

Kate.

Sorry to have summoned you so late, Mrs Henderson.

I've been on national television fighting for my political life.

I saw. I'm sorry.

So you won't mind if I ask you a few simple questions?

Of course.

Did you know about my meeting with Dimitri Krimsov?

Yes. How?

Some basic detective work.

RYAN CHUCKLES

I'm the Foreign fucking Secretary. Your boss.

I don't need any covert surveillance!

I understand Kate had concerns about your personal security.

Did you leak my meeting to the press?

No. Are you sure about that?

Absolutely.

Do you think I don't know who your husband works for?

If you have a problem with my husband,

I suggest you take it up with him, Foreign Secretary,

or Imogen herself.

But you'll admit you don't like my politics, do you?

I'm a civil servant.

Your politics are none of my business.

Is there anything else you'd like to tell us, Kate?

No. Unless Mr Walker would?

Do you think I would take the trouble to come here

if I'd done anything underhand?

It's not my job to say, Sir.

My job is to help keep you safe.

If we've failed to do that here at SIS,

then I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say it is deeply regrettable.

Well, if you've no more questions, Foreign Secretary...

Take this as an official warning.

Do not meddle with the democratic process.

Hiya.

Hi. Did you see it?

What a fucking night. Front-row seat.

I mean, Meg's already asked for his resignation.

He's cooked. He's done.

Well, I think it's gonna take more than this to kill him off.

I mean, maybe, but, it now means

that Imogen is officially in the fucking race.

Can I ask you something? Yeah.

Do you think Imogen's ever been unfaithful?

What, to Harry?

I mean, no, not that I know of. Why?

Forget it.

Katie, if you've heard something about her,

I could really do with knowing, you know.

Especially given she's now declared. No.

Forget about it. I just wanted your opinion. All right.

Are you OK? You had a rough night? SHE SIGHS

I've had better.

Anything you can talk about, or...?

I was accused of passing intel about the Krimsov meeting to you.

To me?

Well, who's accused you? Zak?

Man of the moment. Ryan Walker.

I mean, honestly, do they think we'd be that fucking stupid?

Apparently so.

Did you know, though...

...about Ryan meeting Krimsov?

I mean, is that what that trip was about?

I can't talk about it. You can't talk about it.

Given the fact that you're investigating him... We're not.

And that's it, Stuart. I can't talk about it. All right.

Sorry.

Well...

Bloody hell, well, we'd better win, then, hey?

I'm a civil servant. I can't comment. Yes.

Your neutrality is noted, as ever.

I'm not joking, Stuart. I'm not joking.

SHE SIGHS

I'm really sorry, but I have to go away again tomorrow.

I'll be gone before you're up, though.

OK. What? You... Oh.

What, is it something serious, or...?

It's a potentially hostile environment.

KYRIL: 'Everything is in place.

'Now you are going to find out what Henderson knows.'

Malta is not the best place to die.

Don't be stupid.

Confirm the meeting in the church this morning.

Now.

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