In light of recent wine and cheese-related scandals, a lot of us have been suffering from some serious political apathy. So it’s unsurprising then that, for many, the best thing about the government this Christmas is Hugh Grant’s Prime Minister in Love Actually.
While we may not have expected to find our respect for Westminster restored by a rom com, here we are, nonetheless.
In the film, Hugh's character courageously tells the sleazy president of the United States: ‘A friend that bullies us is no longer a friend.’ He then gyrates his way through Number 10 in celebration to Jump by The Pointer Sisters and, in doing so, wins the hearts of a nation.
‘Watching Love Actually and you can’t help but lament how far we’ve sunk since Hugh Grant was in office,’ wrote one fan on Twitter. ‘The best PM Britain never had,’ another added. Notably, The Love Actually PM never lied or broke rules. But, alas, he is a work of fiction.
The outpouring of appreciation for Hugh prompted an unanswered question to resurface about his character David: Was he leader of the Conservative or Labour party? While there are some clues in the script, including his lack of ‘scary wife or children’, it’s never made explicitly clear.
‘Let's break down the facts about Hugh Grant's PM in Love Actually,’ one fan sleuthed. ‘1) The last PM was Tony Blair as shown by the portrait. 2) He refers to the mess left by the "last lot" 3) The film is set in 2003. Therefore, the PM is a Tory - and potentially an Iain Duncan Smith parallel.’
But inevitably, not everyone agreed: ‘He's a Lib Dem,’ guessed another viewer. To which, someone dismissed: ‘2003 Lib Dems? Winning a majority? Pre-Iraq? Not gonna happen.’
Of course, the person to resolve the debate was the film’s writer and director Richard Curtis. And, as luck would have it, he replied to a three-year-old email from a reporter questioning him on Hugh's character's political alliance.
‘This is such a sad moment,’ he wrote. ‘I’m willing to reveal almost anything about Love Actually – but there’s no answer to that one. It’s a bit like Hugh’s job in Four Weddings – I never let my mind go there… I hope to be back in the offices before too long, and then I’ll try and compensate with some proper answers.’
The suspense is killing us.
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