The Thick of It

While the Minister is away, junior minister Ben Swain tries to make some headlines, but only succeeds in making a fool of himself on Newsnight. Meanwhile, everything begins to unravel for Malcolm Tucker and his team at Number 10.

When the PM resigns six months early, will Malcolm finally spin out of control?

Peter Mannion's attempts at a peaceful evening are thwarted by public relations.

Hugh Abbot is the Minister for Social Affairs and he's facing a policy crisis; his 'Snooper Squad' idea has been vetoed which leaves him with just forty minutes to come up with a new policy.

Hugh enlists the help of a focus group to help him make a decision between two policies.

An empty London flat threatens the future of a potential Housing Bill. Dan Miller is getting plenty of media-attention for his work on the bill, which is creating a degree of envy.

Something goes terribly wrong at a ministerial visit to a factory – only Malcolm can help, but will he?

There's a reshuffle in the offing and the PM's new 'blue skies' advisor is making trouble...

Someone sends an email they shouldn't have, while Hugh lies to a Select Committee...

Reshuffle day at Number 10. When the job at the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship is turned down by everybody else, there is no option but to promote unknown quantity Nicola Murry to the Cabinet. The downside is she is very keen, has a husband who works for a company that has government contracts, has an 11-year-old about to go to a private school and is about to face the media at a crucial by-election poster launch. Something will have to be done.

Nicola Murray MP has only been secretary of state for just over a week, but already there is press speculation on how long she will last. And now someone at the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship has completely wiped the immigration records of 170,672 people. Who's going to get the blame, who will have to break the news to Malcolm and how will Nicola get through lunch with the staff of the Guardian without revealing the scale of the latest disaster?

Nicola Murray is stuck in an Eastbourne hotel bedroom with nothing but a laptop, a printer and a tiny kettle while she and Olly try to finish her speech for the annual party conference. It's not going well. But Glenn has brought in his secret weapon - Julie Price, tragic widow, people's champion and regional photo opportunity. Is this the breakthrough they need, or the start of a tug-of-Julie with Malcolm Tucker?

Peter Mannion, the Secretary of State for Social Affairs, gets told to launch his Coalition partner Fergus's new 'Networked Nation' policy at a school.

With Glenn gone, Nicola Murray is busy breaking in her new policy advisor, Helen Hatley. When Helen is accidentally photographed holding notes from an ideas meeting, Nicola is understandably angry.

Stewart Pearson is running 'Thought Camp' at a remote country house hotel, as the perfect way to re-engage the party with the creative cloudscape.