If you think you'd be able to run the country, or have strong views on political matters, then listen up. Members of the public will get the chance to see if they have what it takes to be Prime Minister in a new Channel 4 TV show.
Make Me Prime Minister will follow 12 ordinary but opinionated Britons in a contest to see what it really takes to operate in the world of politics. Over the course of six episodes the candidates, all with views from across the political spectrum, will embark on a campaign trail and be put through their paces by political figures Alastair Campbell and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi.
Campbell, Tony Blair’s former press secretary, and Baroness Warsi, former co-chairwoman of the Conservative Party and a member of the House of Lords, will set the candidates a series of prime ministerial style tasks designed to test their leadership skills, resilience and integrity.
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During the competition, candidates will face the pressures, challenges and accountability of being in power. From handling diplomatic crises to avoiding domestic gaffes, every move will be scrutinised by Baroness Sayeeda, 51, Campbell, 64, and the media. Speaking about the show, which will air later this year, Campbell said: "Done properly, being Prime Minister is about a tough a job as anyone can do.
"It is great that so many people think they can do it and I am looking forward to working with Sayeeda Warsi to guide and challenge them to see if they really have what it takes. Fair to say politics is in a bit of a mess right now and I hope not only that some genuine political talent emerges through the series but also that it might inspire the watching public to get more engaged in politics and get properly involved."
Viewers can expect to see tasks that include attempting to avert triggering an international crisis by carefully negotiating with an enemy of the country, explaining a new education policy to a group of five-year-olds, and being grilled by one of the country’s top journalists with only minutes to prepare.
In order to remain on the campaign trail and make it through the weekly vote, candidates will need to persuade and convince former politicians, experienced journalists and the British public, that they have the charisma, vision and political acumen to lead. Throughout the course of the series the candidates will be whittled down until one is crowned Channel 4’s Alternative Prime Minister.
Baroness Sayeeda also commented: "Serving as chairman of the Conservative Party and a Cabinet minister in a coalition government, I was convinced values and ethics matter as much as political ideology. So Alastair Campbell and I are putting aside our political differences to focus on what it takes to lead. I hope we can inspire a new generation of passionate voters and politicians."
Head of entertainment and events at Channel 4, Phil Harris added: "We usually tackle politics through our studio-based satire. Now we are injecting some of that attitude to an innovative new competition series that has purpose, scale and humour. Make Me Prime Minister will give real people the chance to prove their leadership credentials."
Make Me Prime Minister will air later this year on Channel 4 and All 4.
