Dame Stella Rimington was the Director-General of MI5 from 1992 to 1996. Listen to highlights from her programme below.
![Dame Stella Rimington with editor Simon Hamer](/staticarchive/77dee71d43c77c2d2120aeca8a20c5aa9941bce4.jpg)
![Dame Stella in the Today studio](/staticarchive/8b318c84f6672dbe92a17eeef51de3ee33300141.jpg)
![Dame Stella Rimington being interviewed on the Today programme](/staticarchive/ba257bc0aca242b56b757aeed62874d93d0a7724.jpg)
![Damon investigating Mali's waste disposal](/staticarchive/83a833e36e8164bb4eedc4150afacf00fd350594.jpg)
What drives the seeming decline in the public's trust in politicians? Has sleaze undermined confidence, or do we just lack great politicians with real life experience?
From the declining power of Parliament to the growing power of special media advisors, Dame Stella Rimington reports from Westminster on what can be done to restore our trust in politics.
![William Pitt the Younger](/staticarchive/b25f8156f475ca59c7170a92fa0b0615332763f1.jpg)
Could the celebrated 18th Century politician,ÌýWilliam Pitt the Younger, survive in today's Westminster?Ìý
Listen again to the item![A victim of abuse](/staticarchive/a738861f7e940755cab3774bda19e0e7da019634.jpg)
We highlight the plight of women who areÌývictims ofÌýdomestic violence butÌýwho haveÌýno recourse to help from the state.
![Sean Connery as 007](/staticarchive/237fe2f7093473515935420b6a3147728622a444.jpg)
How does fiction compare to the reality of spying? Our guest editor discusses the issue with spy writer Henry Porter.
![Dame Stella Rimington](/staticarchive/f2e53a803492d74534ddbe61f2bd4c323c834b28.jpg)
Our guest editor talks about the issues of trust, politicians and media that she tried to communicate in her Boxing Day programme.