The Party Line (radio)

The Party Line is a British radio sitcom, co-written by

The show follows the everyday life of the MP. Each episode begins and concludes with Stonebridge travelling on the train from London, and a short, witty dialogue between Stonebridge and a railway attendant. Most episodes then revolve around Stonebridge's attempt to gain publicity in his constituency, ultimately being thwarted by an unlikely twist of fate or bad luck. Stonebridge finds it difficult to fill the shoes of his predecessor, Sir Digby, whose name still looms large in the shape of his widow, Lady Harriet (Geraldine McNulty). In the third series, Harriet becomes Duncan's constituency secretary. He also struggles to keep one step ahead of Angela, his image-conscious and media savvy Conservative rival. It is an ongoing joke that he is secretly attracted to Angela.

The middle of each show features Stonebridge's constituency surgery, dealing with problems from constituents of variable sanity, including Mrs Digweed, who insists the constituency needs a badger tunnel, and doesn't believe he's doing enough to get this discussed in Parliament.

Other characters include Jane (

• The Party Line at BBC Online
• The Party Line at BBC Online - Archived radio 4 page
• The Party Line at epguides.com
• The Party Line at British Comedy Guide