The New Statesman, Episode 2006

We, that is Mrs L & I, went to see “The New Statesman, Episode 2006”, staring Rik Mayall as Alan B’stard on Saturday. Marsha Fitzalan also reprises her role as his wife Sarah. Sadly, no new jokes, its the same old B’stard, using politics to make money, and have as much, if a bit too fast sex as possible. He’s joined New Labour and works in No. 9 Downing St now.

The two updates are a speech by Alan, about who else could replace him as the stand-in PM (no-one of course, but he names most members, and some ex-members of the cabinet and mentions the reasons why not), and a speech by his junior minister, Frank Lee (the last socialist in England) about what being working class, northern, working class, socialist and working class means, reminding all the real/old Labour attendees just what we’ve given up as the Labour party became “New Labour”. Mind you the mindless workerism was never that attractive to me, but then neither are an unjust war, exclusive student finance and privatisation of hospitals and education.

Interestingly, despite all their attempts to label the Labour Government as Tory and as bad as Thatcher’s & Major’s Tories, the fact that Alan wins out, merely reminds me that there remain rich plutocrats, to whom democracy means nothing and politics and votes are bought and sold; life will be worse if their henchmen (or women) get into power; the soul of the Labour Party is worth saving.

A further high point was the rest of the cast who were very good, with Alexandra Gunn as Condeleeza Rice, who is persuaded to invade Norway instead of Iran, Helen Baker as Flora, from the Tony’s private office and Clive Hayward as Frank Lee.

For those who haven’t a clue what I’m talking about, best try googling it. Meanwhile, here’s a contemporaneous youtube clip.

In the original article, I noted coincidently, the magazine of the same name has relaunched and has a web site http://www.newstatesman.com

ooOOOoo

Originally posted on my sun/oracle blog, and republished here in April 2016.