Jim Hacker is joined by Sir Humphrey Appleby, to discuss the forthcoming public ceremony for the start of work on the Channel Tunnel. It seems that there are certain stumbling blocks regarding border placement and jurisdiction. The Prime Minister is all for handling the negotiations himself, until Sir Humphrey provides him with a raft of legal problems that will need sorting—and in all probability will involve the British side making some concessions. Hacker then decides that such things are better left to the Foreign Secretary. Then, talk turns to the final chapter of Hacker’s predecessor’s memoirs, which is to detail Hacker’s accession to Number 10. The former PM would like to inspect the relevant government papers, but Hacker is not so sure as his predecessor has been less than complimentary about him. Hacker calls him “treacherous, malevolent, and vile.” Then Bernard takes a phone call: the former PM has just died of a heart attack. Hacker’s joyful reaction is swiftly transformed to solemnity, and a state funeral must now be arranged.

Later in the Cabinet Room, Hacker is musing over the likely potential for his own popularity with the voters by hosting the funeral, to which senior politicians will be invited from all over the world. Then Bernard arrives with some disturbing news. The President of France will be bringing with him the gift of a Labrador puppy in reciprocation for a similar offering made by The Queen during her last state visit to France. However, the PM’s officials know that the French are well aware of British quarantine laws and that they are seeking to create a diplomatic incident to gain an upper hand in the Channel Tunnel negotiations. Hacker mobilises both the Foreign and Home Offices while Sir Humphrey co-ordinates things from the Cabinet Office.

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Wikipedia