Have I Got News For You

Stephen Mangan guest hosts. Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey makes his debut appearance, as does comedian Rachel Parris.

Taking an immediate opportunity to tease Ed Davey when introducing him on the panel, host Stephen Mangan joked: "On Paul's team tonight, the leader of the Liberal Democrat party, who is really looking forward to this evening's contest, as whatever happens, for once, he won't come third..."

In the week that has seen the Labour government struggling with an uncooperative civil service, the re-opening of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, and the downfall of Bashar al-Assad's dictatorship in Syria, it was in fact another story that Ian Hislop wanted to take Ed Davey to task on in the opening minutes.

With Private Eye's long history of highlighting the Post Office scandal, Hislop challenged Davey on his handling of the situation at the time, following the Lib Dem Leader's recent apology to campaigner Alan Bates for initially refusing to meet him while serving as postal affairs minister in 2010.

"I'm always very careful about talking about the civil service because half of them are Liberal Democrat party members," said Davey.

"Though you did blame your civil servants once, didn't you.... over the post office? I think you did... I hate to bring it up this early but..." started Hislop.

"We didn't last long, did we?" laughed Mangan.

"But you worked out they were lying to everybody earlier than most..." said Davey, giving Hislop credit.

"But you didn't..." retorted Hislop.

"No, I didn't, no, and I'm really sorry I didn't. That's why the inquiry is so important," replied Davey.

"I did ask Alan (Bates) whether I should give you a hard time. Guess what he said..." asked Hislop, before jokingly turning to the audience with a large grin. "No, he didn't, because he's quite nice, but I asked Lee Castleton and he said yeah... it wasn't your finest hour, was it?"

"Well I think it wasn't the whole government's finest hour and that's why the inquiry is so important... and we also need to make sure that compensation is paid," replied Davey.

"It's still a scandal and we started this year with an ITV drama and everyone thought, that's great, it's on the telly, that will be sorted out... and then of course it hasn't been," sighed Hislop.

"Are you saying that ITV dramas aren't solving this? Because that's not a world I want to live in..." joked Rachel Parris.

"I think you'll find that Inspector Morse had a very successful hit rate... he solved a lot of things," Merton quipped.

"They've just got to get on with it... I think various leaders of other political parties who've got a bit of a record on this should devote themselves to it...." Hislop asserted, pointedly.

Later in the episode, and with Christmas just around the corner, the panel discussed the news that King Charles is selling some rather expensive Christmas crackers this year.

"What has King Charles released for Christmas?" asked Mangan.

"Biscuits? Mince pies?" replied Merton.

"Non-fungible tokens?" joked Parris.

"He's selling boxes of royal Christmas crackers... for £65 for a box of 6!" exclaimed Mangan. "What do you think you get for your £65? What do you think is in them?"

"Kent?" joked Merton.