Carla Mendonça: Clare Phillips

Quotes 

• [the Prime Minister is losing at tennis with his Belgian counterpart, so he suddenly claims a hamstring injury] 

  Prime Minister : I'm sorry... we're going to have to abandon. A shame, just as we were getting back into it. Sorry. Darling, can you give me a hand? I'm a bit lame.

  Clare Phillips : [sarcastically]  You said it.

  [later the PM is reviewing the day with his aide/spin doctor] 

  Prime Minister : So tell me honestly, how did I do?

  Duncan Packer : You were massacred.

  Prime Minister : OK, lie.

  Duncan Packer : You deliberately let him win as a matter of courtesy, since you're the host; however, yours was the tactical triumph because, since you lost so badly, he now feels sorry for you, which could mean that he lets you off the trade tariffs.

  Prime Minister : Good point. He was so desperate to win, it was almost sad. Typical Continental.

  Duncan Packer : Whereas you, and your racquet abuse, swearing at the ball boys, and faked injury displayed all the qualities of sportsmanship and fair play that makes one proud to be British.

  Prime Minister : I thought I told you to lie.