Last December's "Cheriegate" affair did little to abate the rampant public cynicism reserved for politicians - a mistrust evidenced in the turnout at the 2001 general election, which was the lowest for more than 80 years. In this documentary, Michael Cockerell talks to figures including Edwina Currie, Max Clifford, Geoffrey Robinson and Neil Hamilton in an effort to see if spin, sleaze and ministerial failure is to blame, or whether the media's sneering political coverage is most at fault.

Michael Cockerell
Self - Narrator
Mohamed Al-Fayed
Self

Peter Bazalgette
Self
Tim Bell
Self

Tony Benn
Self

Cherie Blair
Self (archive footage)

Tony Blair
Self (archive footage)

Ken Clarke
Self

Edwina Currie
Self

Bernie Ecclestone
Self (archive footage)
Ian Greer
Self

Neil Hamilton
Self

Max Hastings
Self

Michael Heseltine
Self

John Humphrys
Self