The Thick of It/Characters

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


We've compiled this helpful guide for the characters of The Thick of It and how they fit into the intricate edifice of the British Political System. The show expects you to know even the most minor, tertiary characters by sight and in name-drops even if they've only had five minutes of consecutive screen time a half-dozen episodes apart, and good luck following exactly what is going on if you don't.

You're welcome.

The Government

The ruling party and civil servants. Less Left-wing than in the past, and more image-conscious and spin-obsessed, the Party has much in common with New Labour:

Number 10:

The Prime Minister

The first Prime Minister was simply referred to as "The Prime Minister" and little was known about him.

Tom Davis

By series three the original Prime Minister had resigned and been replaced by a new Party leader, now with a name but still unseen. Known to have poor communication skills and mental health issues, his supporters are known as "Nutters".

Malcolm Tucker, Prime Minister's Director Of Communications

"I'm a man of principle: I like to know whether I'm lying to save the skin of a tosser or a moron."

An unelected employee of the Party, Malcolm nonetheless appears to be the most powerful person in government. As the Party's most senior press officer he is responsible for crisis management PR and also acts as an enforcer, ensuring all of the cabinet departments follow the party line. Fiercely loyal to the Party, his overall objective is to keep them in power by any means necessary.

Samantha "Sam" Cassidy

"Happy birthday Malcolm!"

Malcolm's PA and one true confidante. He is genuinely fond of her and the feeling is mutual: she is the only character who really understands him and doesn't view him as a complete bastard. When Malcolm gets fired in series 3 Sam actually cries while everyone else is celebrating, and Malcolm comes running in to comfort her.


Jamie, Senior Press Officer, Number 10

"From now on it's a proper fight- it's a pub fight, Motherwell rules."

Jamie runs the testosterone-charged Number 10 press office and as Malcolm's unofficial second-in-command he also helps him with his enforcer duties. He came into conflict with Malcolm during the specials, and disappeared as of series three. However, he's still alive, well, and employed, and exchanging combative e-mails with Malcolm, as per The Missing DoSaC Files.


The Department Of Social Affairs (and Citizenship)

"Citizenship involves, basically, cutting pensions to the Gurkhas, re-jigging the protocols for a rabies outbreak, some crap from Health about long-term care for the elderly, that neither they nor we have any real idea about."- Olly Reeder

"And everything to do with the Isle of Man."- Glenn Cullen

As a newly-created "super department" with a wide range of duties, the Department's remit is confusing but among other things it covers housing, immigration and benefits. It is the least glamorous of the Cabinet departments and the one which no MPs want to run. A fictional department, it is comparable to the Real Life Department for Communities and Local Government.

The department itself invokes the The Main Characters Do Everything trope, as Glenn and Olly have already explained above.

Cliff Lawton MP

"It's the bollocks of the jungle out there. They're like wolves- pissed wolves."

The Minister for Social Affairs when the series started, Malcolm forced him to resign in the very first episode.

  • Decoy Protagonist
  • He's Back: Subverted; just when it looks like Jamie is about to boost him into the position of rival candidate, Malcolm cottons on and aborts the plan. Meanwhile, Cliff goes as far as saying "I'm back!" before Jamie wearily tells him to fuck off.
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Against Malcolm, and utterly ineffectual.


Hugh Abbott MP

"I categorically did not knowingly not tell the truth. Even though unknowingly I might not have done."

Cliff Lawton's replacement. During his time there the department was rebranded "The Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship", or DoSAC. He lacks "click" with his constituents, other politicians and (most upsetting to Hugh) the PM's wife.

Nicola Murray MP

"I mean, I have about as much real power as those twats who sit either side of Alan Sugar."

Hugh Abbott's replacement following a reshuffle at the start of series 3. Ambitious but with no real ideas, her belief that she can make a difference proves to be a delusion.

  • Cannot Tell a Joke
  • Claustrophobia
  • Corrupt the Cutie: Being around Malcolm turns her from a naive MP who can barely get through the day without screwing up to a foul-mouthed saavy politician able to throw a press conference to save Malcolm's arse.
  • Deadpan Snarker: She's certainly not averse to snarking back at Malcolm.
  • Dirty Coward
  • Foe Yay: With Malcolm.
  • Hypocrite: Over just about everything... but most of all her plan to promote social mobility and state education while sending her daughter to a private school.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity: Nicola isn't the brightest, but she does display enough political acuity to knowingly bomb a press conference to take the heat off Malcolm.
    • Alternatively, she's displaying a touch of Bitch in Sheep's Clothing, knowing that her prospects of a leadership bid are nil after a disastrous day and a particularly awful press conference, and she's taking a swipe at Malcolm's incompetence contributing to the day's events. Or both!
  • Wide-Eyed Idealist: According to Rebecca Front, the character was largely inspired by a discussion with a political consultant who told her that the worst nightmare for someone like Malcolm would be a politician who believed in things.

Ben Swain MP, Junior Minister for Immigration, DoSAC

"Look at this! Takeaway and a fight. All I need now is a handjob in a bus shelter and I'll have had the great British night out."

A junior minister to Hugh Abbott, in series three he transferred to the Department of Education after Nicola Murray sacked him from DoSaC off-screen. He is petty and immature, slow on the uptake, and has a mega nervous blink.


Glenn Cullen, DoSAC Senior Policy Adviser

"I feel like I'm in a therapy group being run by my own rapist."

Divorced and depressed, Glenn has been working as an adviser for around thirty years and knows no other way of life. He is Hugh's best mate and confidante, and after Hugh's departure in a reshuffle, tries to make himself valuable to Nicola. In series three he attempts to run for election as an MP himself, but since he's Glenn, Failure Is the Only Option.


Olly Reeder, DoSAC Policy Adviser

"Yeah, you think it's my finger, bitch."

Olly spent a year in a think tank before joining the Department. A graduate of "Poxbridge", he is book-smart but not streetwise. Ruthlessly ambitious and unscrupulous in his attempts to further his political career, he can be untrustworthy and disloyal, although his ambitions seem to cool down in series 3. Made himself useful by dating Emma Messinger, a policy adviser to DoSAC shadow minister Peter Mannion MP, and also dated journalist Angela Heaney.

  • Dating Catwoman: His relationship with Emma, in that he would have her job were his party in opposition.
  • Kavorka Man: Olly looks about 12, is wafer thin, has a bad haircut and an incredibly corny sense of humour, but he still manages to bang hotties Angela Heaney and Emma Messinger, and is depicted as somewhat of a womanizer.
  • Older Than They Look: Chris Addison. Olly is meant to be in his early 20s and looks no older than 22. Chris Addison turned 40(!) in 2011.
  • Oxbridge
  • Small Name, Big Ego: There is a vast gulf between Olly's own opinion of his abilities and his actual abilities.
  • Smug Snake: Olly tends to come across as rather slimy and not quite as clever as he thinks he is.
  • The Starscream in the Specials


Terri Coverly, Director of Communications, DoSAC

"Well, you know, I'm just trying to do my best and make sure I can still get home by six o'clock"

As a civil servant, Terri does not get involved in party politics and will remain in her job regardless of which party is in power, which is probably why she can't be arsed with it. She coordinates the department's media relations, and is one of the few characters to have a life outside of work.

  • Flanderization - she seemed a lot more competent in the first series. By the time of the third series she's reached the point where she's known even among the Opposition as "the useless one".
    • Fridge Brilliance - At the end of the second series, Terri suffers a great deal of upheaval in her personal life. It is not until after this trauma that the quality of her work drops off, and in series 3 she admits that she tries to take more time for herself outside of work.
      • Terri also used to be one of the nicer characters on the show (well, nice compared to everyone else). Then at the end of series one, she's forced to fall on her sword and make a public statement/apology for something Hugh did, with little to no support from anyone whatsoever. By the time series 3 rolls around, Terri is one the bitchiest, nastiest people on the show.
  • Small Name, Big Ego
  • Stalker with a Crush to Peter Mannion
  • Ultimate Job Security - as a civil servant she's almost impossible to get rid of, and she'll take the time to remind everyone else of it, too.


Robyn Murdoch, Senior Press Officer, DoSAC

"Give them all of the lines to say?"

Another civil servant, junior to Terri. Despite her job title Robyn's main duty is making tea.


Other Government characters

Nick Hanway, Enforcer to Tom Davis

"Tom's not sure about you..."

As Tom Davis's right-hand man, "Nice Nutter Nick" was sure he would be taking over from Malcolm after the original Prime Minister's resignation. A little too sure...

Julius Nicholson

"I'm the new Che Guevara, all I need is a new moustache and some laser correction eye treatment"

A former business guru turned MP in the first two series, he also acted as a "Blue-Skies Thinker" to the Prime Minister, a meaningless job title given to him to keep him quiet. By series three he had been made a life peer, and as Lord Nicholson of Arnage he was put in a position of real power, causing problems for those who had initially refused to take him seriously.


Steve Fleming MP

"Would you PLEASE fucking well...sorry. I lost my temper. Where is it? Where is it? Where is it? Oh, I've found it again, it's all right! Always in the last place you look, eh?"

A powerful and influential Cabinet minister charged with enforcer duties, it is likely that he is a whip. Was once forced to resign by Malcolm and the two became sworn enemies. He later returned, determined to wreak revenge on Malcolm.


Dan Miller MP

"If you're gonna make an omelette, you're going to have to have some frank and honest discussion with the eggs"

Powerful and influential brushed aluminium cyberprick young minister who has long been rumoured to be planning a leadership bid.


Claire Ballentyne MP

"...but you didn't want to come here at all, did you Mr Abbott?"

Another influential MP, she is chair of the Select Committee. She takes no crap from anyone, least of all Hugh Abbott when he attempts to lie to the Committee. She also appeared in Spinners and Losers, when Malcolm called on her for one of his BatmanGambits.


Geoff Holhurst MP

"My head is the right size!"

Defence Minister, best known for being corrupt and having a tiny head. It was never firmly established if he was a tosser or a moron.


John Duggan

"My To Do list is longer than a big willy"

Utterly hapless press officer charged with looking after Nicola Murray during the Eastbourne Party Conference. Unfortunately the only thing he seems to be any good at is depriving a village somewhere of a twat.

The Opposition

Perhaps even more image-obsessed than the ruling party, it is hinted that they are also more elitist and that many members hold objectionable views. Comparable to the Conservative Party.

JB, Leader of the Opposition

An old Etonian who apparently keeps a clique of other Etonians about him. Little is known about him as (other than his taste for racist jokes), like the Prime Minister, he is never seen.

Stewart Pearson, Opposition Director of Communications

"Let's imagineer the narrative..."

An advertising executive recruited from the private sector, Stewart would seem to be the perfect choice for a party wanting to reposition themselves as more PC and eco-friendly. In practice, his liberal views are rather at odds with those of the party's old guard, especially Peter Mannion MP who he has trouble exerting control and influence over.

Malcolm: Carry on like this and I might not find you utterly fucking contemptible.
Stewart: That's an incentive.


Shadow Department of Social Affairs (And Citizenship)

Peter Mannion MP, Shadow Minister for Social Affairs and Citizenship

"Of course I like you. I like and fear and mistrust you."

One of the old guard, he is resistant to the new culture of spin and blanketly refuses to take Stewart seriously. He was a junior minister when his party were last in power. During this time he also got his housekeeper pregnant and twelve years later he still hasn't lived this down. Despite this he is one of the show's few sympathetic characters.


Emma Messinger, aide to Peter Mannion

Olly Reeder's girlfriend and also his counterpart in the Opposition. Like Olly, she abuses their relationship to gather information on the opposing party's plans. She lives in a flat with fellow advisor Phil, but can't stand him.

  • Deadpan Snarker: "I'm having an affair with Richard Bacon, I'm turned on by men with meat in their surnames."
  • Dating Catwoman: She shares the same job role and rank as boyfriend Olly, but in the Opposition party.
  • Blonde Conservative Sex Kitten
  • Ice Queen - Emma starts off all lovey-dovey with Olly, but over the course of the series ruthlessly steals his ideas and coldly kicks him to the kerb on a number of occasions. She also treats Phil, Glenn and Terri with utter contempt and hatred in almost every interaction with them.


Phil Smith, aide to Peter Mannion

"It's a dark suit and it's only lukewarm, I STILL WIN!"

Emma's flatmate and Olly's worst enemy, he is Glenn's counterpart in the Opposition despite being considerably younger. He is childish and immature, constantly sucks up to Peter Mannion and can't talk without using The Lord of the Rings metaphors. Often draws unflattering comparisons to Rupert Brooke and James May due to his outdated hairstyle.


Affers

"You can see why people don't vote!"

Emma's little brother, he lives with Emma and Phil. His involvement in politics seems to extend to fucking off, darling, when Emma needs to discuss something with Olly in private.


Cal "The Fucker" Richards

"Fuck, what I REALLY need to do, is shoot you all in the back of the head. FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! But I can't, because it's illegal!"

Brought in as a PR advisor ahead of the general election. He is an aggressive and psychotic bully with a very cruel sense of humour.


The Media

Angela Heaney

The Party initially considered Angela a rather soft and compliant journalist who could be relied on for a nice sympathetic story. This was in no small way helped by the fact that she was Olly Reader's ex. "The twatbubble from the Standard" then got a job at the Daily Mail and became somewhat less compliant.

Adam Kenyon

"It's not like we're the Independent, we can't just stick a headline saying 'CRUELTY' and then stick a picture of a dolphin or a whale underneath."

The night editor at the Daily Mail, Kenyon is Angela Heaney's irritable and bad-tempered boss. One of Malcolm's favoured targets during late-night political scheming, Keynon plays a large role in what is made public about the events of Spinners and Losers.

  • Face Doodling: Does this to Claire Ballentyne's experimental front-page photo in a moment of stress.
  • Hair-Trigger Temper
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Declares one on Olly over the phone.
  • Sanity Slippage: Kenyon spends most of Spinners and Losers getting more and more frustrated with Olly's conflicting reports, culminating in an explosive rant after Ballentyne is ditched almost as soon as she's selected. By dawn, Adam is looking particularly broken, and looks downright despairing when he realises that the next candidate is a complete unknown (Ben Swain); finally, he calls Olly personally to declare him the target of a furious vendetta.

Marianne Swift

"It was a public conversation..."

A freelancer at the Daily Mail and the Guardian. Marianne first got drawn into the affairs of DoSAC when she overheard Nicola Murray discussing immigration with an off-the-record Guardian journalist. Malcolm later called on her in a desperate attempt to save his career.

Geoffrey

"...so you're not currying favour then?"

The Guardian editor in series three, he first appears at the disastrous lunch meeting where Nicola Murray fails to convince him that she is neither smug nor glum. Later he finds himself among the journalists Malcolm tries to enlist to help preserve his reputation and career.

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