Michael Portillo Making ‘The Trouble With the Tory Party’ for Viacom’s Channel 5

By Stewart Clarke

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – On the day that British Prime Minister Theresa May announced her resignation plans, a prominent former politician has unveiled a two-part documentary about the troubles faced by her Conservative party.

Michael Portillo is a former senior Conservative politician and leadership candidate. As the starting gun is sounded on a fresh leadership race, his documentary “Portillo: the Trouble With the Tory Party” was announced by Viacom’s Chanel 5.

Portillo will meet the leaders, power-brokers and insiders who have called the shots on the European conundrum that has split the party, which in modern parlance is referred to as both the Tory and the Conservative party. The question of Britain’s role within Europe, and notably its exit from the European Union with Brexit, has divided party members. Brexit was a key factor in May’s resignation, as she made clear , Friday.

“Winston Churchill called for a United States of Europe, Ted Heath led Britain into the European Community, Margaret Thatcher said ‘No, no, no’ to European integration, and Brexit has torn the Conservatives in two,” Portillo said. “This series will explain the party’s hideous ructions over Britain’s place in Europe, which mirror the divisions in the nation.”

Channel 5’s factual commissioning editor Guy Davies, ordered the series. “This is an incredibly timely piece with Michael’s top level insider insight into the political earthquakes that are shaking up British politics, and within the Conservative Party in particular,” he said.

U.K. indie Transparent Television is on production duty. The series will go out on in the summer.