Summary

Act Two Scene One begins in the Clock Tower. Cocks enquires how long it will be before Big Ben is working again and the Clockmaker replies that he doesn’t know. He says it has never happened before in over a hundred years and might not be fixed until the summer. Cocks is in despair, commenting that the clock breaking down feels like a symbol for the Labour government. He worries it makes them look bad.

The scene moves onto the Government Whips Office where Doc, the MP for Batley, and his wife Lady Batley are moving into the House of Commons with an oxygen tank for Doc so that he can be present for all votes. This is a consequence of the Conservative Whips Office continuing to refuse to engage in the practice of pairing after...