Francis Urquhart

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Francis Urquhart (pronounced "Urcurt") is a fictional character created by Michael Dobbs. He appeared in a trilogy of novels, House of Cards, To Play the King and The Final Cut. He was portrayed on television with icy relish by Ian Richardson. In the series Urquhart addressed the audience in asides, often quoting Shakespeare, or giving a knowing look to the camera. He would use the phrase, "You Might Say That, I Couldn't Possibly Comment" as a deniable way of agreeing with people. The term has often been used in the real life Westminster, and in the media, since the BBC airing of House of Cards and its sequels. The first series, which opens with the battle within the Conservative party to succeed Margaret Thatcher as its leader and as Prime Minister, gained instant popularity when she fell from power during its run.

Contents 1 Background 2 Politics 3 House of Cards 4 To Play the King 5 The Final Cut

[edit] Background

Urquhart served for many years as Chief Whip of the Conservative Party. He was believed by most people to be an honest and decent man but the reality was very different: Urquhart was a vengeful, manipulative man who lusted after power and was willing to commit murder and blackmail to get it. He was encouraged by his equally amoral wife, Elizabeth.

The books reveal that Urquhart was a tutor before entering politics, and that he felt pressured by his family to live up to the memory of his older brother who died in the War. He also commented that his family was originally Scottish, but moved to England when James I took power — although in the television version of The Final Cut, Urquhart claimed that he was born in the Scottish Highlands. He is fond of Wagner, and is a hunting enthusiast who often sees his killings as "acts of mercy", which is the same way he perceives the murders he commits.

[edit] Politics

Urqhuart is hard right wing. His policies include abolishing the Arts Council, outlawing beggars as "a nuisance", reintroducing conscription, and banning pensioners from NHS treatment unless they have paid for Age Insurance. He believes that social workers should go into private practice to see whether they are needed by society. He describes himself as "an old fashioned Tory", often stating that people need to get off their backsides and take responsibility for themselves. He is contemptuous of the welfare state. He appears to be against UK membership of the European Union. He is not racist, deploring rival Patrick Woolton's racism and anti-Semitism in House of Cards. He has been described as "a dinosaur".

[edit] House of Cards

In the first novel, Urquhart was denied the promotion he craved (specifically, the position of Home Secretary) and plotted his revenge against the new Prime Minister Henry Collingridge. Each Government Department has a Junior Whip who reports regularly to the Chief Whip. In addition all delicate secrets and potential scandals are handled by the Chief Whip, who is in charge of party discipline. Urquhart abused his position and inside knowledge to undermine Collingridge and ultimately force him to resign.

He then eliminated his enemies in the resulting leadership contest by means of scandals that he set up himself or had previously hushed up. These included threatening to publish photographs of Howard Earle (education minister) receiving oral sex from a rent boy; causing Peter MacKenzie, the Minister of Health, to accidentally run over a handicapped man; forcing Patrick Woolton, the foreign secretary, to withdraw by threatening him with a tape of his one-night stand with Penny Guy (secretary to his right-hand man Roger O'Neill). He discredits his remaining rival, Michael Samuels (environment), by revealing he had previously been linked to the Communist Party of Britain. He thereby reached the brink of victory.

Prior to the final ballot he murdered Roger O'Neill, who helped him to remove the Prime Minister from office. Urquhart invites O'Neill to his country house, gets him drunk, and adds rat poison to his cocaine. This is because O'Neill has become unstable (due to his cocaine addiction and break-up with Penny) and knows too much about Urquhart's activities.

The ending of the novel and TV series differ significantly (indeed the ending of the TV series enabled the author Michael Dobbs to write the sequels). Urquhart cultivated a friendship with journalist Mattie Storin, whom he used to plant stories escalating the "leadership crisis". However, she untangled his web and confronted him in the deserted (and fictitious) roof garden of the Houses of Parliament. In the novel he committed suicide by jumping to his death. In the TV drama he threw her off the roof, killing her outright, and claimed she had committed suicide. In the TV version Urquhart had gained her ultimate trust by having a sexual relationship with her (with his wife's consent). This was strangely paternal; when Urquhart informed her "I'm old enough to be your father" she seemed to be further attracted to him, and called him "Daddy". Shortly after murdering her, he was driven to Buckingham Palace to become Prime Minister.

[edit] To Play the King

The second novel starts with the newly-appointed Prime Minister Urquhart feeling a sense of anti-climax. Having gained great power and influence, he wonders how to use them. His wife comments that he needs "a new challenge". This challenge is shortly provided in the form of the new King. The King has a social conscience and is concerned about Urquhart's harsh policies. He does not directly criticise Urquhart, but makes speeches about the direction he wishes the country to pursue, which contrasts with the government's policies. Urquhart wins the confidence of the King's estranged wife and uses his influences in the press to reveal intimate secrets about the Royal Family. The King is dragged into a general election which Urquhart wins, creating a constitutional crisis and finally forcing the King to abdicate in favour of his teenage son, whom Urquhart expects to manipulate.

Urquhart also removes his former ally and Party Chairman Tim Stamper after he learns that Stamper found, and is finally taking to the police, an incriminating tape that Mattie Storin was covertly recording of her final confrontation with Urquhart. He also eliminates his own aide (and lover) Sarah Harding, in whom Stamper had confided. Both perish in car explosions.

With a subordinate Monarchy and no threat in sight, Urquhart has consolidated his power as Prime Minister.

[edit] The Final Cut

The last novel in the trilogy portrays an embattled and increasingly unpopular man who is determined to "beat that bloody woman's record" and become a longer-serving Prime Minister than Margaret Thatcher. He is aware that, like all Statesmen, his time in office must come to an end and he is determined to make his mark on the world. He sets about reuniting Cyprus both to secure his legacy and to gain substantial monies from a consequent oil deal. But his past is catching up with him - a tenacious Cypriot girl and her father are determined to prove that he murdered her uncles while serving as a young officer in Cyprus during the unrest that preceded independence. He also releases his Foreign Secretary Tom Makepeace from the cabinet, leaving Makepeace free to criticise the government and make the incumbent ever more unpopular; and surrounds himself with a cabinet of cronies who generally tell him what he wants to hear, so that he becomes even more isolated.

Urquhart dies at the unveiling of the Thatcher memorial, having been Prime Minister for 4228 days - one day longer than Thatcher. In the TV series, Urquhart's wife has his security guard kill him to stop a dark secret from his past being revealed. In the book, Urquhart allows himself to be killed by an assassin who is out for revenge, martyring himself in the process - his pushing of his wife out of the way, saving her life, secured him a State funeral and the landslide re-election of his party, and won him the legacy he craved.