Coalition (film)

Coalition
Promotional image. From left to right: Mark Dexter as David Cameron, Bertie Carvel as Nick Clegg and Ian Grieve as Gordon Brown
Genre	Political drama
Based on	United Kingdom general election, 2010 2010 United Kingdom government formation
Written by	James Graham
Starring	Bertie Carvel Mark Dexter Ian Grieve Sebastian Armesto Mark Gatiss Donald Sumpter
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of episodes	1
Production
Running time	95 minutes (with advertisements)
Release
Original network	Channel 4
Original release	28 March 2015
External links
Website

Coalition is a television film about the formation of a coalition government following the 2010 United Kingdom general election. It was broadcast on Channel 4 on 28 March 2015, shortly before that year's general election. The film was written by James Graham and starred Bertie Carvel as Nick Clegg, Ian Grieve as Gordon Brown, and Mark Dexter as David Cameron. Graham wrote the film in the aim of giving humanity and enabling empathy to all of the figures portrayed within it, which earned it positive reviews from critics.

Nick Clegg is popular with the electorate ahead of the 2010 general election, with his Liberal Democrat party promising electoral reform and an end to the two dominant parties, Labour and Conservative. The election results in a hung parliament with no party having a majority of seats: the Conservatives have the most, then the governing Labour, and then the Liberal Democrats. Nick is disappointed that his popularity did not reflect in the results, but is consoled by his party's former leader, Paddy Ashdown.

As the party with the most seats, the Conservatives led by David Cameron are given the first choice to form a government, which will either be a minority government or a coalition with the Liberal Democrats. Conservative peers are vehemently opposed to working with the Liberal Democrats due to what they see to be contrasting policies, but Shadow Chancellor George Osborne tells David that if they ally with them, it would put the Tories into a centrist position and potentially make them more electable for the next general election. Meanwhile, Labour, led by incumbent Prime Minister Gordon Brown, prepare for negotiations with the Liberal Democrats. Gordon points out to Nick that both parties are left-wing and progressive, but Nick is held back by the personal unpopularity of Brown amongst the British public.