I grew up in Northern England. The times were grim, the steel mills and mines were shutting down, the Labor Party was unelectable and Thatcher was busy dismantling the government. By 1984 the conservative party had run out of things to break and was concentrating on its core competencies sex scandals, sleazy business deals, and French baiting.
Rik Mayall at the time was best known for playing the annoying anarchist/dweeb in 'The Young Ones' a show that was not quite as funny as it should have been. When 'New Statesman' came out it was not particularly shocking, Allan B'Stard was not too far out of the mainstream of Conservative philosophy.
The clip I pulled here is from a much later special, 1994 I think. This was during the John Major. This era was marked by financial crises, sleaze, and a general malaise. In subsequent years it was found that John Major (the most boring Prime Minister ever) had been having an affair with one of his cabinet members (the reviled Edwina Curry).
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