Cabinet episode The sixth episode of the Secret Society series was titled Cabinet, and focused on secret Cabinet committees. It was also held back from broadcast, and has not, , ever been shown. The broadcast of the Cabinet episode was cancelled due to the imminent 1987 general election. The BBC subsequently rejected Campbell's attempt to buy the episode for broadcast on Channel 4 in 1991, in a season of programming about censorship. Instead the episode was remade using Campbell's scripts. In a parliamentary debate on civil liberties and the Bill of Rights on 15 June 1989, Labour MP Alistair Darling, then in opposition, claimed that the true reason for the Zircon affair was to distract from the Cabinet episode of Secret Society. Darling said that "The Government's actions are oppressive, as has been shown by their treatment of broadcasting. We saw the spectacle of police being sent to raid the BBC headquarters in Glasgow in the middle of the night. ... We saw the Zircon tapes seized as an elaborate blind." Darling said that the cabinet episode concerned "the election campaign of 1983, and the fact that the Government sought to undermine and spy on the citizens of this country. Their object was to prevent the programme from being shown, and the Zircon affair was a blind." See also BBC controversies Footnotes Bibliography Bradley, A. W. (Spring 1987). "Parliamentary privilege and the Zircon affair". Public Law. pp. 1–3. Bradley, A. W. (Winter 1987). "Parliamentary privilege, Zircon and national security". Public Law. pp. 488–495. Milne, A. (1989). D. G.: Memoirs of a British Broadcaster. . 1986 in law 1987 in law 1986 in the United Kingdom 1987 in the United Kingdom BBC controversies GCHQ Journalistic scandals Politics of the United Kingdom United Kingdom defence procurement