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'Yes Minister' just too close to the truth?

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With an election looming maybe it's time to educate ourselves on the work of Parliament and the Civil Service. For an interesting and informative look from the 'inside' can I recommend 'Yes Minister' and 'Yes Prime Minister' on TV (channel 19 at the moment) or as a box set. It's amazing how little things have changed and how it covers exactly the same things we complain about now. I challenge anyone to say this is not, as near as dam it, the way things are done.

 

I've just realised there's a whole generation who have never seen it and yet it tells you all you want to know about how government really works. And if you think it must be too far from reality it was endorsed by Margaret Thatcher who loved it so much she actually wanted to appear in it, (and actually did a radio performance in it.)

 

And it's also very funny.

 

Errr... or is it?

Edited by Anna B

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Guest

I watched it last night too; that "Moral Dimension" episode, where they were having sneeky drinks of alcohol in Saudi Arabia, is hilarious.

 

That sitcom mostly went over my head when I was younger but I have an appreciation of it now that I get most of what they're talking about on it. And you're right, it does ring true today.

Edited by Guest

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It was genius, although I suspect the truth was much darker. This, by now famous clip, speaks volumes:

 

 

 

 

 

.

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Yes Minister is one of the best series ever to grace any nation. A friend of mine in the thick of it in the Netherlands keeps reminding me that The Thick of It is pretty close to reality as well!

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Life imitates art, too.

 

One episode involved Sir Humphrey having made an error (when still a junior Civil Servant) in not incorporating some sort of break clause in a lease of a property in Scotland, due to his unfamiliarity with the applicable law.

 

And just last week the EU found that a UK site which it acquired (but which it will now no longer need, once the UK leaves) has no break clause in the lease. So the EU will have to pay rent for the whole term, unless it can:

a. assign it; or

b. make the UK pay.

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Life imitates art, too.

 

One episode involved Sir Humphrey having made an error (when still a junior Civil Servant) in not incorporating some sort of break clause in a lease of a property in Scotland, due to his unfamiliarity with the applicable law.

 

And just last week the EU found that a UK site which it acquired (but which it will now no longer need, once the UK leaves) has no break clause in the lease. So the EU will have to pay rent for the whole term, unless it can:

a. assign it; or

b. make the UK pay.

 

It ought to be a standard text in schools and colleges, especially for anyone interested in politics. I wonder how many youngsters have heard of it, let alone seen it?

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I like this episode about smoking. The plans are outrageous, the audience laugh, but how many of the plans are now in place?

 

Complete ban on all cigarette advertising and sponsorship - even at point of sale

£50 million spent on anti smoking measures

Ban smoking in all public places

Tax rises to make a packet of 20 the same as a bottle of scotch

 

 

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I like this episode about smoking. The plans are outrageous, the audience laugh, but how many of the plans are now in place?

 

Complete ban on all cigarette advertising and sponsorship - even at point of sale

£50 million spent on anti smoking measures

Ban smoking in all public places

Tax rises to make a packet of 20 the same as a bottle of scotch

 

 

 

Actually, that's why I put

'It's very funny,

or is it...'

 

Yes it's funny, but so much of it has come true, it's no wonder we're in such a pickle with this sort of government.

Extremely funny in the 80s when everyone was feeling reasonably secure about the future. Perhaps less so now the world has become such an unfunny place.

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