Have I Got News For You

Martin Clunes invites journalist Steph McGovern and comedy writer Armando Iannucci to pair up with regular team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton to poke fun at the week's events.

The guest panellists joined regular team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton in a week that saw numerous covid blows and gaffes from the Tory Party, Elon Musk winning TIME magazine's 'Person Of The Year' award, a controversial conclusion to the Grand Prix season and public complaints about a missing chocolate from an advent calendar.

First up, the panel's attention was turned to the number of Tory backbenchers who rebelled in this week's vote for the prime minister's new public health measures, with the number of Omicron cases surging across the country.

Meanwhile, further allegations surfaced about new Christmas parties held by the Conservatives in 2020, with former London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey resigning from an official role in the London Assembly, after an image of a party held with his then campaign team was obtained by the Daily Mirror.

Ian Hislop: "The Tory party excelled themselves by rebelling against a public health measure. They didn't bother when it was about corruption or standards, but when it was a sensible measure about this virus they all said, 'No! This is fascism, this is Stalin-ism'.

"Anyway, the backbenchers had a fit and the measures only got through because the Labour Party supported the Conservative Party... it's a new definition of 'opposition'. So that was quite embarrassing for Boris, but not particularly, given the rest of his week."

Armando Iannucci: "Yes, lots of parties are being found that have taken place last year in Number 10. In fact, the data isn't in, but I think they found that the number of parties last year was doubling every two to three days."

Martin Clunes: "According to The Mirror, the party for Conservative activists and campaign workers was described as 'raucous', and a door was broken. So unfortunately they got out.

"One of the excuses for the gathering was that they'd all been working hard for hours on end, so we're probably being a bit hard on them. Aren't they allowed to work together and let off a bit of steam? Right, that's the balance taken care of... let's move on."

Ian Hislop: "That's exactly what Number 10 said, that everyone in Number 10 has been working really hard, so they should have a party... and in the Treasury and the Department of Education. But not in the NHS or in anywhere you work (looking to audience). No, you haven't been working hard, you've been doing b**ger all all year! Look at this lazy lot!"

Martin Clunes: "This is the scandalous party... that held several parties last Christmas. Shaun Bailey was the Head of the London Assembly's Police and Crime Committee, but he's no longer in the chair... as the music stopped and somebody else got there first."

It was also announced this week that Elon Musk has been named TIME magazine's 'Person Of The Year'.

Martin Clunes: "TIME magazine called him a clown, a genius, a visionary, an industrialist and a showman. Who knew there were two of us?

"This is Elon Musk, who's been named TIME magazine's 'Person Of The Year'. Elon Musk is planning to build a futuristic Noah's Ark, to bring the animals and creatures of Earth to Mars. One tip Elon... leave the bats."