Prime Minister parodies are a long-running feature of the British satirical magazine ''

Private Eye ''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satirical and current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely recognised for its prominent critici ...

'', which have been included in the majority of issues since the magazine's inception. The parodies consist of one arch satirical personification of the

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern p ...

of the day, and use that personification to send up continuously that Prime Minister's personality and style of leadership, and the personalities and general features of his or her cabinet. Such are their popularity that the parodies usually find their way into mainstream culture far beyond simply being viewed as a joke within the pages of ''Private Eye'', and are subsequently mentioned often in other journalistic appraisals of the individual in question.

List by prime minister

Harold Wilson: Mrs. Wilson's Diary

''Mrs Wilson's Diary'' was the imaginary diary of

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

Harold Wilson James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from October 1964 to June 1970, and again from March 1974 to April 1976. He ...

's wife

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

, in the style of the BBC radio serial ''

Mrs Dale's Diary ''Mrs Dale's Diary'' was the first significant BBC radio serial drama. It was first broadcast on 5 January 1948 on the BBC Light Programme, later BBC Radio 2; it ran until 25 April 1969. A new episode was broadcast each weekday afternoon, wit ...

''. Written primarily by John Wells with input from

Richard Ingrams Richard Reid Ingrams (born 19 August 1937 in Chelsea, London) is an English journalist, a co-founder and second editor of the British satirical magazine ''Private Eye'', and founding editor of '' The Oldie'' magazine. He left the latter job at ...

and

Peter Cook Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, comedian, satirist, playwright and screenwriter. He was the leading figure of the British satire boom of the 1960s, and he was associated with the anti-establishme ...

, it chronicled the events in Wilson's life from Mary's more down-to-earth and homely perspective. Mrs Wilson was presented as seeing herself as comfortably middle-class, in contrast to Harold's working-class pretensions (and middle-class actuality), for example the

Wincarnis Wincarnis is a brand name of a British tonic wine, popular in Jamaica and some other former British colonies. The name is derived from "wine ''carnis''", from the Latin meaning "of meat." It is a fortified wine (17%) now made to a secret recipe of ...

(a brand of tonic wine) and the

worsted Worsted ( or ) is a high-quality type of wool yarn, the fabric made from this yarn, and a yarn weight category. The name derives from Worstead, a village in the English county of Norfolk. That village, together with North Walsham and Aylsham ...

suits with two pairs of trousers (Wilson was from

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence i ...

, a town known for the manufacture of worsted cloth). The "Diary" caught the mood of the nation in the mid- to late 1960s. The column subsequently appeared as a sketch on satirical television programmes, and was adapted as a musical play under the eye of

Joan Littlewood Joan Maud Littlewood (6 October 1914 – 20 September 2002) was an English theatre director who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and is best known for her work in developing the Theatre Workshop. She has been called "The Mother of M ...

(music by

Jeremy Taylor Jeremy Taylor (1613–1667) was a cleric in the Church of England who achieved fame as an author during the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. He is sometimes known as the "Shakespeare of Divines" for his poetic style of expression, and he is fr ...

), being performed in the West End. It also inspired a similar feature in the American magazine '' National Lampoon'' named ''Mrs Agnew's Diary'', purporting to be the actual journal of

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

Spiro Agnew Spiro Theodore Agnew (November 9, 1918 – September 17, 1996) was the 39th vice president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1973. He is the second vice president to resign the position, the other being John ...

's wife Judy.

Edward Heath: ''Heathco Newsletter''

''Heathco Newsletter'' purported to be an internal missive from

Edward Heath Sir Edward Richard George Heath (9 July 191617 July 2005), often known as Ted Heath, was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. Heath a ...

, the managing director of a struggling small firm called Heathco, in which Heath keeps his staff up to date and in high spirits with the latest company news. Cabinet ministers were recast as petty managers and clerks in this satire. The company's logo was a stylised

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

(Heath's hobby was yachting). The newsletters invariably ended with a request to staff which admonished them for stubbing their cigarettes out in the plastic cups in which the canteen served them with tea. Frequent reference was made to the malfunctioning of the Automatic Plastic Beaker Disposal Unit, or APBDU.

James Callaghan

There was no Prime Ministerial parody by ''Private Eye'' of

James Callaghan Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, ( ; 27 March 191226 March 2005), commonly known as Jim Callaghan, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980. Callaghan is ...

's government.

Margaret Thatcher: Dear Bill

'' Dear Bill'' consisted of spoof letters from

Denis Thatcher Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet, (10 May 1915 – 26 June 2003) was an English businessman and the husband of Margaret Thatcher, who served as the first female British prime minister from 1979 to 1990; in turn, he became the first male prime m ...

to his friend Bill Deedes, editor of the ''

Daily Telegraph Daily or The Daily may refer to: Journalism * Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks * ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times'' * ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...

'', about life in

10 Downing Street 10 Downing Street in London, also known colloquially in the United Kingdom as Number 10, is the official residence and executive office of the first lord of the treasury, usually, by convention, the prime minister of the United Kingdom. Along w ...

with

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...

. The series portrayed Denis as a sozzled right-wing

alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...

staggering between snifters, with various friends, many of whom, like Bill and Denis, played

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

. The putative author was often commanded to accompany his wife ("the Boss") on various tours—at home and abroad; electioneering, political and statesmanlike, plus "very" occasional holidays; Denis has his own slant on everywhere he goes, and often meets an old chummo with whom he can partake of a libation or two. The column was written by

and John Wells. Wells, also a comic actor, developed a sideline as an impersonator of Denis Thatcher. The collected columns were published every year in paperback form. The parody led to several spin-offs. Wells wrote and starred in a West End stage musical titled ''Anyone for Denis'' featuring Denis Thatcher's perspective of life at Number Ten with Margaret Thatcher. Wells also collaborated with '' Secret Policeman's Ball'' series co-creator/producer Martin Lewis and ''

Not the Nine O'Clock News ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' is a British television sketch comedy show which was broadcast on BBC2 from 1979 to 1982. Originally shown as a comedy alternative to the '' Nine O'Clock News'' on BBC1, it features satirical sketches on then-cur ...

'' series co-creator/producer John Lloyd on the comedy album ''Iron Lady: The Coming Of The Leader''. The album was written by Wells who also appeared on it performing multiple characters. Lewis and Lloyd produced. Margaret Thatcher was portrayed by

Janet Brown Janet McLuckie Brown (14 December 192327 May 2011) was a Scottish actress, comedian and impressionist who gained considerable fame in the 1970s and 1980s for her impersonations of Margaret Thatcher. Brown was the wife of Peter Butterworth, who ...

John Major: The Secret Diary of John Major (aged 47¾)

''The Secret Diary of John Major (aged 47¾)'' was a weekly spoof diary entry based on '' The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾'' in which

John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon, formerly Hunting ...

was characterised as being hopelessly naïve and optimistic, as well as childish, dull, weak and obsessed by trivia. " My wife Norman", " Norma Lamont" and " Mr Dr Mawhinney" were recurring characters, and in the later years of his premiership he seemed oblivious to the fact that "Mr Heseltine" was actually running the government. He kept lists of his enemies in a

Ryman Ryman is a stationery retail company with 205 outlets nationwide in the United Kingdom. The website and stores provide a wide range of stationery and office supplies for homes and businesses, with its headquarters in Crewe, Cheshire. Hist ...

notebook called his "Bastards Book", referring to his unguarded description of eurosceptic Cabinet members as "Bastards". The diary reappears occasionally, such as after the revelation of his affair with Edwina Currie, when he was made a

Knight of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George ...

, and after he attended the funeral of

Tony Blair: St Albion Parish News

St Albion Parish News St Albion Parish News was a regular feature in the British satirical magazine ''Private Eye'' during the premiership of Tony Blair. It was in the ''Private Eye'' tradition of featuring a fortnightly column lampooning the Prime Minister of the day ...

'' was the newsletter of a fictional parish, "St Albion", in which

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of t ...

's religious beliefs and style of public speaking saw him characterised as a trendy yet sanctimonious

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...

vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

. Members of his government were various parish officials, e.g.

Gordon Brown James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Tony ...

as the grumpy parish treasurer,

Hazel Blears Hazel Anne Blears (born 14 May 1956) is a former British Labour Party politician, who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Salford and Eccles, previously Salford, from 1997 to 2015. One of 101 female Labour MPs elected at the 1997 g ...

as the bicycling deliverer of the parish newsletter, and

Peter Mandelson Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson (born 21 October 1953) is a British Labour Party politician who served as First Secretary of State from 2009 to 2010. He was President of the Board of Trade in 1998 and from 2008 to 2010. He is the ...

as the church warden, in charge of running the parish's Millennium Tent on the village green. Blair often received updates from his transatlantic

confidant The confidant ( or ; feminine: confidante, same pronunciation) is a character in a story whom a protagonist confides in and trusts. Confidants may be other principal characters, characters who command trust by virtue of their position such as ...

, George Bush, from the "Church of the Latter-Day Morons", or a topical variant thereof (such as the "Church of Latter-Day More Bombs" in times of war). From 1997 to 2001, during the presidency of

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...

, the correspondence was described as coming from "The Church of the 7th Day Fornicators" in reference to Clinton's womanising. In 1998, ''Sermon from St. Albion's'', an ITV television series based on the column, was shown. It starred

Harry Enfield Henry Richard Enfield (born 30 May 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer and director. He is known in particular for his television work, including '' Harry Enfield's Television Programme'' and ''Harry & Paul'', and for the creation and ...

as the Rev. Blair and was written by ''Private Eye'' editor

Ian Hislop Ian David Hislop (born 13 July 1960) is a British journalist, satirist, writer, broadcaster, and editor of the magazine ''Private Eye''. He has appeared on numerous radio and television programmes and has been a team captain on the BBC quiz sho ...

Gordon Brown: Prime Ministerial Decree

''Prime Ministerial Decree'' was a mock Stalinism, Stalinist

decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used ...

by "supreme leader"

, portrayed as a centralist dictator. Brown continuously hailed the "Age of Change" and often attempted to revise history (playing on Brown's degree in

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

), making harsh attacks on the "discredited regime" of "former Comrade Blair". The column made much of the Soviet-era tendency to coin philosophies related to certain people, often referring to "Blairist- Mandelsonism", " Osbornist-

Cameronian Cameronian was a name given to a radical faction of Scottish Covenanters who followed the teachings of Richard Cameron, and who were composed principally of those who signed the Sanquhar Declaration in 1680. They were also known as Society M ...

" and other variants.

David Cameron: The New Coalition Academy/Cameron Free School

During his first premiership, a coalition with the Liberal Democrats,

David Cameron David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...

(MA Oxon) was portrayed as the headmaster of ''The New Coalition Academy'' (formerly Brown's Comprehensive) along with Deputy Headmaster

Nick Clegg Sir Nicholas William Peter Clegg (born 7 January 1967) is a British media executive and former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom who has been president for global affairs at Meta Platforms since 2022, having previously been vicep ...

(MA Cantab), whose contributions to the school newsletter were invariably cut short "owing to lack of space", often to make room for a gratuitous photograph of the headmaster's attractive wife. The school's motto was "Duo in Uno" and its mission statement was different every issue. Key members of staff included Mr Cable the Business Studies teacher, whose lengthy reports the headmaster often promised "to get round to reading", Mr Osborne the bursar and his assistant Mr Alexander, who had joined the staff "since leaving school last year". The

Secretary of State for Defence The secretary of state for defence, also referred to as the defence secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the business of the Ministry of Defence. The incumbent is a membe ...

was the head of the cadets and the

Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all nationa ...

the master in charge of detentions. Former

Secretary of State for Education The secretary of state for education, also referred to as the education secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for the work of the Department for Education. The incumbent is a member of the C ...

Michael Gove Michael Andrew Gove (; born Graeme Andrew Logan, 26 August 1967) is a British politician serving as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations since 2021. He has been Member of Par ...

was regularly pictured sitting on a child's play chair, dubbed the " naughty chair", for various misdemeanors. Members of the Labour Party were "temporary supply teachers". The election of the

Mayor of London The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom. The current m ...

was referred to as "auditions for the role of

Dick Whittington Richard Whittington (c. 1354–1423) of the parish of St Michael Paternoster Royal, City of London, was an English merchant and a politician of the late medieval period. He is also the real-life inspiration for the English folk tale '' Dic ...

in the school panto." Following the 2015 General Election, in which the Conservative Party won an outright majority, the parody school was renamed the ''Cameron Free School''.

Theresa May: St. Theresa's Independent State Grammar School for Girls (and Boys)

The Cameron Free School was renamed ''St. Theresa's Independent State Grammar School for Girls (and Boys)'' after

Theresa May Theresa Mary May, Lady May (; née Brasier; born 1 October 1956) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served in David Cameron's cab ...

assumed the premiership in 2016. After the 2017 general election and the

Conservative–DUP agreement The Conservative–DUP agreement between the Conservative Party and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) followed the 2017 United Kingdom general election which resulted in a hung parliament. Negotiations between the two parties began on 9 June, ...

, it added "Incorporating the William III Orange Academy" to its title. The school's coat of arms featured a pair of leopard-print kitten heel women's shoes, parodying a favourite style of May's. In 2017 one of these shoes was replaced by an orange. The school's motto was "''Unitas in Divisione''" (United in Division). In 2018, the ongoing withdrawal from the " European Education Union" led to the school being placed in "

special measures Special measures is a status applied by regulators of public services in Britain to providers who fall short of acceptable standards. In education (England and Wales) Ofsted, the schools inspection agency for England and some British Overseas Ter ...

." After May's resignation, the school was renamed ''St. Somebody's Independent Grammar School for Girls (and Boys), not necessarily incorporating The William III Orange Academy'' covered with a banner reading "Temporarily Closed", and a question mark replacing the shoes in the coat of arms.

Boris Johnson: The People's PMQs/Prime Minister's WhatsApp

Upon

Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as ...

's accession the school theme was abandoned for the first time since the Tories returned to power, replaced by ''The People's PMQs'', in which the prime minister broadcasts a livestream on

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dust ...

taking questions from members of the public. Johnson frequently wanders off topic and babbles incoherently, with references to

Dominic Cummings Dominic Mckenzie Cummings (born 25 November 1971) is a British political strategist who served as Chief Adviser to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson from 24 July 2019 until Cummings resigned on 13 November 2020. From 2007 to 2014, he was a ...

(his Special adviser) giving him hand signals from out of frame. Recently the Facebook element has been abandoned in favour of a

WhatsApp WhatsApp (also called WhatsApp Messenger) is an internationally available freeware, cross-platform, centralized instant messaging (IM) and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by American company Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook). It allows use ...

feed of the Prime Minister and his government called ''The Prime Minister's WhatsApp''.

Liz Truss: Prime Minister's WhatsApp

The WhatsApp theme continued during

Liz Truss Mary Elizabeth Truss (born 26 July 1975) is a British politician who briefly served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from September to October 2022. On her fiftieth day in office, she stepped dow ...

's short period as PM (only a few weeks in 2022).

Audio parodies

The

Private Eye recordings ''Private Eye'', the British fortnightly satirical magazine, has produced various comedic audio recordings since its founding in 1961. The most famous of the recordings from the 1960s and 1970s were pressed on thin floppy 7" vinyl (sometimes known ...

issued by the magazine from time-to-time, especially in its first fifteen years, featured comedic impersonations and lampoons of the following Prime Ministers: *

Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986) was a British Conservative statesman and politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Caricatured as " Supermac", ...

* Sir

Alec Douglas-Home Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel (; 2 July 1903 – 9 October 1995), styled as Lord Dunglass between 1918 and 1951 and being The 14th Earl of Home from 1951 till 1963, was a British Conservative politician who s ...

* Harold Wilson * Edward Heath The Prime Ministers were impersonated by various members of the ''Private Eye'' staff and friends, including

, John Bird,

, and

Willie Rushton William George Rushton (18 August 1937 – 11 December 1996) was an English cartoonist, satirist, comedian, actor and performer who co-founded the satirical magazine ''Private Eye''. Early life Rushton was born 18 August 1937 in 3 Wilbraham Plac ...

References

External links

* {{DISPLAYTITLE:Prime Minister parodies (''Private Eye'') Private Eye Politics of the United Kingdom Fictional diaries Works about prime ministers of the United Kingdom Cultural depictions of British prime ministers Cultural depictions of Margaret Thatcher Cultural depictions of John Major Cultural depictions of Tony Blair Cultural depictions of Gordon Brown Cultural depictions of David Cameron Theresa May Cultural depictions of Boris Johnson