While the Sunday papers, and the “Beeb” of course, get all self-righteous about a PM aide making a lockdown trip or two, we recall the days when Jim Hacker was in charge, or thought he was. 

Jim Hacker explains who reads the newspapers.  

Hacker: “Don’t tell me about the press. I know exactly who reads the papers. The Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country; The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country; The Times is read by the people who actually do run the country; the Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country; the Financial Times is read by people who own the country; the Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country, and the Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it is.

Sir Humphrey: “Prime Minister, what about the people who read The Sun?”

Bernard: “Sun readers don’t care who runs the country, as long as she’s got big tits”.

They knew a thing or two in 1986!