Have I Got News For You bids farewell to Liz Truss

Have I Got News For You’s panellists will – as expected – lay into Liz Truss tonight after she quit  after just 44 chaotic days in No 10. 

In the show, which was recorded last night, Ian Hislop got the ball rolling by saying: ‘Her whole career was one enormous U-turn… she walked into Downing Street and she walked straight out again. 

‘She didn't drag it out,’ added fellow panellist Katy Balls, deputy political editor of The Spectator,

‘No, no… they dragged her out,’ replied Hislop.  

‘The Tory party are now looking for their third leader this year. But they seem to keep doing shorter times per go.,’ said Balls. 

Paul Merton joked: ‘It sounds like whoever wins next week and becomes Prime Minister, the victory speech will be something along the lines of, "I'm really pleased to have become Prime Minister of this country and that's why I'm tendering my resignation".’ 

‘Did you notice though that when she was giving her resignation speech, she was sort of weirdly smiling?’ said Jo Brand. ‘I thought, "Ah, she's got Christmas Strictly"’

Host Clive Myrie gave some background to the story, explaining: ‘Suella Braverman resigned on Wednesday in a letter to the Prime Minister. Although given Liz Truss’s precarious position, Braverman did address it, "To whom it may concern.’

He added: ‘After the fracking vote, there were reports that one Tory MP was roughed up outside the division lobbies. I imagine he ended up with his eyes to the right and his nose to the left.’

Discussing the possibility  Boris Johnson might make a miraculous return, Hislop said: ‘You’re not seriously going to propose him to come back? That seems to me almost… mad enough for them to do it.’

The show was taped just hours after Truss’s resignation, with writer Kevin Day tweeting: ‘Have I Got News For You has turned into an exercise in speed-writing this week!’

Have I Got News For You is on BBC One tonight at 9pm, for the fifth episode in its 64^th series.

Published: 21 Oct 2022