Have I Got News For You

Phil Wang makes his debut as guest host on Have I Got News For You. Having previously appeared on the programme 11 times as a panellist, tonight marks his first time in the host's chair.

Wang replaces the previously announced Amol Rajan as host, due to the BBC Radio 4 presenter no longer being able to take the role given the BBC's impartiality guidelines in the run up to an election.

Wang immediately referenced his role as guest host at the beginning of the record, joking "I got this gig last night... first time hosting, very excited. The originally planned host had to be cancelled for impartiality things 'cause the election was announced yesterday.... which I think makes me the only person I know who's benefitted from Rishi Sunak's premiership!"

After months of speculation, this week marked a seismic one in Westminster as Wednesday saw Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announce the UK's next general election for 4th July. Sunak's announcement at the lectern outside number 10 didn't quite go to plan however, as he got progressively drenched in heavy rain and protesters attempted to further drown out his speech by blaring Labour's 1997 election campaign song Things Can Only Get Better from the gates at Downing Street.

"The one thing that a Prime Minister has in their locker is that they get to choose the exact timing and the manner in which you call for an election, so you really get to nail the announcement..." lamented Baroness Ruth Davidson, continuing, "You can just sort of tell that once the door shut behind him, all you could hear was 'arrggggghhh!'" Davidson said, impersonating a screaming Sunak.

"He would have shook himself like a dog," Richard Osman quipped, before pointing out, "His hair is standing up pretty good... yeah, in that downpour, that's amazing. Whoever does his hair should be in charge of stopping the boats..."

"Could this be interpreted as God being angry with the Tories?" Merton enquired jokingly of the rain.

"I think it could..." Hislop replied to laughter from the panel. "I was just saying that for balance."

"He's so desperate to lose... you can see it," Osman posited.

"He wants to go on holiday in August, doesn't he?" Merton agreed.

"He wants to move to LA, doesn't he, and the school year presumably starts in September. So he's thinking, I'm not gonna have an election in November," continued Osman, "He is so desperate to lose. He literally never wants to hear the word 'sewage' again, he never wants to hear the word 'Rwanda' again, he never wants to hear the word 'Grant Shapps' again."

"The last time there was a general election in July was in 1945. Famously Winston Churchill lost a landslide to Labour just after World War Two, whereas Rishi's going to lose a landslide to Labour just before World War Three," joked host Wang, then asking the panel, "How is Starmer planning to win over the electorate?"

"Say nothing for six weeks and you're in," quipped Hislop.

"Almost... he's telling voters 'it will feel like a long campaign... but that opportunity for change is what this election is about.' Nothing gets past him does it..." joked Wang.

One other big story in the news this week was the evidence given at the Post Office Inquiry by ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells, who broke down in tears while being questioned about whether she had deliberately misled MPs.

"She cried four times. For herself. It was a really disgraceful performance... it was appalling," Hislop said, to applause from the audience, continuing, "She said things like 'I didn't know that they were prosecuting these people when I took over' and you think, that just isn't true. It's all lies. She is now in the inquiry trying to blame her colleagues, which is the entire point of the inquiry, is that she has already blamed people who didn't do it in an attempt to cover herself and now she's doing it again."

"She did show some humility. What did Vennells admit was a personal failure?" Wang asked the panel.

"She said she was 'too trusting'. That's the Prince Andrew defence. 'I was too noble'," quipped Hislop.

"'I can't sweat', she said," Osman joked.

"'I use all my inner water for tears'... and her tears reached 10 Downing Street," laughed Merton, before asking Hislop, "is there any likelihood that she will end up in prison, do you think?"

"I think as soon as the inquiry is over, the incoming government... be it Labour or Conservative..." started Hislop.

"or Lib Dem..." Osman chipped in.

"or Plaid Cymru..." continued Davidson.

"One of the ways they could make an early popular success is to prosecute some of the people at the Post Office. I think it would be a really good first week," Hislop said.