Have I Got News For You on Tory troubles and Rachel Reeves plagiarism

Preview of tonight's show

comedy Have I Got News For You takes aim at the Tories’ ongoing troubles as well as the claims of plagiarism in Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ new book tonight.

The panel incudes Conservative MP Dehenna Davison, prompting Ian Hislop to joke: ‘We’ve got a Tory MP here… relish it, because it’s going to be a rarity.’

Host Jack Dee then asked her: ‘The next election might not be until December 2024. Are you excited about the prospect of being in your job for the next 12 to 13 months?"

‘There’s nothing people want more than another Christmas election,’ Davison replied, tongue-in-cheek. ‘Usually you get ticked off when people knock on the door and it’s carol singers. It’s going to be us instead, with our rosettes on, knocking on your doors. I literally cannot think of a better Christmas gift, can you?’

When Dee asked: ‘What effect has Prime Minister Sunak had on the Conservative party’s fortunes in the last year?’, Davison replied: ‘I’ve been given my official line from [Conservative Campaign Headquarters] for this one.

‘It’s not a line of cocaine, is it?’ Hislop said.

‘I understand it’s this,’ Davison replied, holding up the sheet of paper reading: ‘Everything Is Fine’.

‘Is that a fine for Covid?" joked Hislop, who also suggested that Sunak’s five pledges to try to win the next election were: ‘Don’t be Liz Truss, do not be Liz Truss… don’t be Liz Truss, DON’T be Liz Truss….’

When Paul Merton pointed out ‘that’s only four,’ comedian Emmanuel Sonubi, the other panellist, suggested the final one should be: ‘Fix swimming pool.’

And here they are talking about Reeves’ book:

• Have I Got News For You is on BBC One and BBC iPlayer tonight at 9pm

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Published: 27 Oct 2023