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James Fox plays Charles Powell

BAFTA award-winner and Golden Globe nominee James Fox, a member of the famous Fox acting dynasty, has enjoyed a distinguished career appearing in a number of productions including Tim Burton's Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and starring in critically-acclaimed classic A Passage To India. He is currently filming Sherlock Holmes, directed by Guy Ritchie.

In Margaret he plays Charles Powell, who joined the Foreign Office in 1963 and was seconded to Downing Street in 1983 to become the Prime Minister's private secretary. A staunch Thatcher supporter, he was one of her most trusted aides and became her Foreign Policy Adviser.

Oliver Cotton plays Michael Heseltine

Oliver Cotton has enjoyed an extensive acting career featuring in a number of stage productions for the National Theatre and appearing in a wide variety of TV and films including hit TV series The Commander and Sensitive Skin.

Oliver plays Michael Heseltine who was appointed to the Cabinet by Margaret Thatcher in 1979 as Secretary of State for the Environment. In 1983 he became Secretary of State for Defence but resigned three years later and returned to the backbenches after a dispute with Thatcher. Following Geoffrey Howe's resignation speech in November 1990, he announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Conservative Party.

Philip Jackson plays Bernard Ingham

Perhaps best known for his role as Chief Inspector Japp in the television series Poirot, veteran actor Philip Jackson has had a successful career spanning both film and television including appearances in Little Voice and, more recently, Place Of Execution and Mark Gatiss' Crooked House.

In Margaret he plays Bernard Ingham, the Iron Lady's Chief Press Secretary who was by her side for the full 11 years she was in office. The Yorkshireman was knighted in Margaret Thatcher's resignation honours and his autobiography Kill The Messenger was published in May 1991 and became a best seller.

Robert Hardy plays Willie Whitelaw

BAFTA award-winner Robert Hardy, who starred in the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's hit series All Creatures Great And Small, is widely regarded as one of the best character actors of his generation. He holds the distinction of having played both Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt on more than one occasion and one of his most recent roles was as Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, in the Harry Potter movies.

Robert plays Willie Whitelaw, who was appointed Ö÷²¥´óÐã Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister to Margaret Thatcher's new government in 1979. In 1983 he became Leader of the House of Lords and it is rumoured that, during his period in office, Thatcher relied on him heavily, famously announcing "every Prime Minister needs a Willie". He was forced to resign after suffering a stroke in December 1987 and he died in 1999.

Kevin McNally plays Kenneth Clarke

Kevin McNally has worked extensively in both film and television and is best known for his portrayal of first mate Joshamee Gibbs alongside Johnny Depp in the Pirates Of The Caribbean trilogy. He has recently appeared in ITV's Demons and has just finished filming Wuthering Heights for the channel.

In Margaret he plays Kenneth Clarke who occupied a wide range of ministerial positions while Margaret Thatcher was in power and was reported to be the first Cabinet minister to advise her to resign.

John Sessions plays Geoffrey Howe

John Sessions started his career on the comedy circuit, moving into TV comedy with appearances in French & Saunders and Whose Line Is It Anyway?

His recent career has seen him take on more serious roles with appearances in The Good Shepherd and Oliver Twist and in Margaret he plays Geoffrey Howe; a fitting role after he voiced Howe's Spitting Image character in the Eighties and Nineties. Howe was Margaret Thatcher's longest-serving Cabinet minister. It is widely regarded that his resignation as Deputy Prime Minister in November 1990 was the catalyst for Margaret Thatcher's downfall.

Rupert Vansittart plays Peter Morrison

Rupert Vansittart has featured in Heartbeat since the series started in 1992, appeared in smash hit comedy Four Weddings And A Funeral, and played Mr Hurst in the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's critically-acclaimed Pride And Prejudice serial. More recently he has appeared in Hustle and The Bank Job.

Peter Morrison was first elected to the House of Commons in 1974 and reportedly urged Margaret Thatcher to stand for the Conservative Party leadership in 1975. By 1990 he was heading up Margaret Thatcher's campaign team for the leadership election and predicted an easy win for the Iron Lady.

Roy Marsden plays Norman Tebbit

Best known for his portrayal of Adam Dalgliesh in ITV's dramatisations of PD James's detective novels, Roy Marsden began his career with the Royal Shakespeare Company and was responsible for kick-starting Anthony Hopkins' career by persuading him to audition for RADA. Marsden has most recently been on screen in The Palace and Doctor Who.

Norman Tebbit was a key supporter of Margaret Thatcher during her battle to retain the party leadership and he urged her to fight on when a second ballot was forced. Tebbit never entered the leadership contest when Thatcher stood down; instead he switched his allegiance to John Major.

Michael Maloney plays John Major

Michael Maloney's career has spanned theatre, TV and the silver screen, including Anthony Minghella's first film Truly Madly Deeply and recent appearances in Bonekickers and The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones.

In Margaret Michael plays John Major, who succeeded Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister. John Major was appointed Foreign Secretary in 1989 in a surprise reshuffle to the Cabinet. However, he only held that post for three months before becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer. During the turbulent weeks of November 1990, Major stayed in the background until entering the contest for leadership of the Conservative Party after Michael Heseltine forced a second ballot.

Nicholas Le Prevost plays Douglas Hurd

Nicholas Le Prevost has a plethora of credits to his name, including appearances in Shakespeare In Love and Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story.

Douglas Hurd was first elected to parliament in 1974 and by November 1990 he was Foreign Secretary, having taken over from John Major when he became Chancellor of the Exchequer the previous year. Hurd supported Margaret during her battle to retain party leadership but once she withdrew, he entered the contest, eventually conceding defeat to John Major.