Have I Got News for You specials. "List complete up to 14 December 2018" In 1993, in the final episode of series 5, The Rt Hon. Roy Hattersley (then an MP, having recently stepped down as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party) cancelled his appearance on the show at the last minute; the third time he had done so. Unable to find a suitable replacement at such short notice, they decided that Paul's guest would be a tub of lard instead, billed as 'The Right Honourable Tub of Lard MP'. In a 1994 episode, Deayton read out the following: "The BBC are cracking down on references
Have I Got News for You You", noted about Conservative MP Rupert Allason that "...given Mr Allason's fondness for pursuing libel actions, there are also excellent legal reasons for not referring to him as a conniving little shit". Allason then pursued a libel action against BBC Worldwide and Hat Trick Productions over the remark, but lost the case. In November 1998, following a BBC edict restricting reporting about Peter Mandelson, the programme-makers responded by ridiculing the restriction throughout the episode. With limited opportunities for cuts before transmission, the whole episode was broadcast. The reporting edict continued to be ignored, attacked and flouted before being relaxed by