Yes, Prime Minister (TV Series)
The Key (1986)
Deborah Norton: Dorothy Wainwright
Photos
Quotes
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Jim Hacker : [the Prime Minister attempts to repeat Humphrey's explaination to Dorothy] Well, because if people came to see people who people didn't know people were coming... that is, if people saw people coming before people saw them seeing people, people would see people. The whole ship would go off the rails. You see.
Dorothy Wainwright : Did you work all that out for yourself?
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Dorothy Wainwright : I used to be in the office next door to this room, didn't I? You had me moved to the front of the building, up three floors, along the corridor, down two steps, round the corner and four doors along to the right. Next to the photocopier.
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Jim Hacker : Dorothy. I've hardly seen you since I moved in.
Dorothy Wainwright : Well, I used to be in the office next door to this office, didn't I? You had me moved to the front of the building, up three floors, along the corridor, down two steps, around the corner, and four doors along to the right, next to the photocopier.
Jim Hacker : I thought you'd gone on holiday or something.
Dorothy Wainwright : I might as well be. I came back from my weekend and found my office turned into a waiting room, for cabinet ministers officials, and so on. Humphrey said it was on your instructions. Was it?
Jim Hacker : No--well, yes, uh... no--yes. You see, Humphrey came to me with this plan for rationalization, to make use of the space.
Dorothy Wainwright : Don't you realize the Civil Service have been trying to get me out of that office for three years?
Jim Hacker : No, why?
Dorothy Wainwright : Because, geographically, it's in the key strategic position. It's the best placed room in the house.
Jim Hacker : I don't see what difference it makes.
Dorothy Wainwright : [indicating different objects of the table] Look... this file is the cabinet room where we are now. Through the doors is your private office. This ruler is the corridor to the front door, here, and this corridor runs from the cabinet room and connects up to the locked green baize door, on the other side of which is the cabinet office, where Humphrey works. This coffee cup is the staircase up to your study, and this saucer is this gents' loo. And this is--was my office, and my desk faced out into the lobby and I always kept my door open. What could I see?
Jim Hacker : Well, you can see everyone who comes in through the front door, or from the cabinet office, or the cabinet room or the private office, or up the staircase. Hmm...
Dorothy Wainwright : And I was opposite the gents' loo. I have to be opposite the loo!
Jim Hacker : Have you seen anyone about this?
Dorothy Wainwright : The gents' loo. Almost everyone in the cabinet is a man. I could hear everything they said to each other privately when the popped out of cabinet meetings for a pee. I was able to keep the last Prime Minister fully informed about all their little - foibles.
Jim Hacker : Was it any of his business?
Dorothy Wainwright : When they were plotting against him, yes.
Jim Hacker : Ah.
