Canada forces him to drop the legislation. A reshuffle gives Clark his long dreamed of position at the Ministry of Defence but it is under new Defence Secretary Tom King a man he considers ghastly. Defence of the Realm Clark has finally made it into the coveted Ministry of Defence but his triumph is short-lived when he finds himself once again walking on thin ice with his old rival Tom King. All the while, the political temperature is rising — poll tax riots rage, the Gulf War breaks out, and The Lady's iron grip on the Tory party appears to be slipping fast. Into the Wilderness With Thatcher gone and his estate in terminal decline Clark remains in curiously high spirits. In the resulting leadership election Clark supports the ultimately successful John Major but still finds himself out of favour as he criticises Britain's NATO allies in the run up to the Gulf War and a younger generation of ministers rises up. An affair puts Clark under personal as well as professional pressure and in the mistaken belief that the Conservatives would lose the 1992 general election he announces his decision not to stand for re-election. Clark is thrust once again into the headlines as he finds himself in court over the Matrix Churchill scandal. Abandoned and alone in retirement at Saltwood Castle Clark regrets his decision to leave politics. Leaving Home Rotting away in retirement Clark dreams of a victorious return to the House of Commons. When Chelsea MP Sir Nicholas Scott finds himself embroiled in scandal Clark starts pushing for the seat. Despite attempts to make Clark the scapegoat for the Arms-to-Iraq scandal the Scott Inquiry clears him. Initially rejected by Chelsea further scandals for Scott result in Clark's eventual selection for the newly merged seat of Kensington and Chelsea. The 1997 general election sees Clark's victorious return to the House of Commons but the Conservatives devastatingly defeated by New Labour. Diagnosed with brain cancer, Clark chooses to disappear from public life. Filming locations Saltwood Castle featured as itself during the series after Clark's widow, Jane, gave her support for the production and welcomed the team into her home. The castle remains owned by the Clark family, and is rarely opened to the public. Alan Clark often used to visit Hythe seafront and this is represented in the first episode of the series. External links Press release at