Episode one tells how David Cameron was pushed by the Conservative Party’s fixation with Europe to call the Brexit referendum. Douglas Carswell and Daniel Hannan reveal how they sought to turn up the heat on the Prime Minister. For the first time on television, William Hague, George Osborne and Nick Clegg reprise the arguments inside Government that led to the decision which sparked the biggest political crisis since World War Two. Osborne warned against a gamble that could be a "disaster for Britain", but Hague thought there was no other option, saying: "this was coming. Either we had to lead that or be the victims of it". European Presidents Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk reveal how Cameron negotiated with EU Leaders over the concessions he felt he needed to win the referendum - and how the Europeans saw it. Cameron’s closest advisers - including his Press Secretary Gabby Bertin and Ambassador to the EU Ivan Rogers - describe the increasingly desperate negotiations, including a last-minute push to get the concessions which would ensure that the then Home Secretary, Theresa May, would back remain. As he runs up against Europe’s leaders, Cameron comes unstuck. French Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Angela Merkel’s top Europe advisers and other key players recall warning Cameron against picking a fight, and how their vision of the European Union differed from his. Ultimately, Cameron couldn't deliver enough to win the referendum. In a final, emotional farewell to his fellow EU leaders, there is regret on both sides.
| Name | Type | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Stirzaker | Director | ||
| Tania Rakhmanova | Director |