1960s drama starring Peter Finch as a parliamentary MP whose thirst for greater power leads him into political intrigue. 1960s drama starring Peter Finch as Johnnie Byrne, a Labour MP whose thirst for greater power leads him into political intrigue. His hopes are raised when his party triumphs in a general election, but Johnnie is overlooked for a role on the front benches. Worse still his wife (Rosalie Crutchley) has just left him and he struggles to juggle his two mistresses. The crunch comes when fellow backbenchers try to enlist him in a scheme that might destabilise the government but would advance their careers.