A British politician finds that his intense liberal views become more conservative with his rise to power.

Hamer Radshaw (Sir Michael Redgrave) rises from a Manchester slum to an important post in the British Cabinet but, along the way, his strong Socialist beliefs undergo modifications to the extent that, while maintaining them in principle, he diametrically opposes them in practice. His "spur" for prosperity and social status causes him to sacrifice his ideals and friends, including allowing his wife, a fighter for women's rights, to be jailed.—Les Adams <[email protected]>