Hilary Rees Benson

As Home Secretary, Hilary is one of the more experienced members of the Purple Alliance Cabinet and one of Ros' most trusted aides. She was an MP for New Labour before defecting and appears to be a firm supporter of Ros and her radical policies.

Geraldine James
Described by Sir Peter Hall as one of the great English classical actresses, Geraldine James has been nominated for a BAFTA award three times. She has been seen previously on Masterpiece Theatre in The Jewel in the Crown, Inspector Morse, Rebecca, The Hound of the Baskervilles, White Teeth and in Andrew Davies' adaptation of Anthony Trollope's He Knew He Was Right.

James won the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival in 1989 for her role in Stephen Poliakoff's She's Been Away, also starring Dame Peggy Ashcroft. She was nominated for a Tony award in 1990 for her role as Portia in The Merchant of Venice and was made an OBE in the 2003 Queen's birthday honors list.