Times when politicians were genuinely funny

[poodlefaker]

The country member thing comes from gentlemen's clubs; country members lived outside London, so got cheaper membership.

Although Mark Lamarr improved it on Never Mind the Buzzcocks: "Stuart Adamson was a Big Country member..."

[dissolute ocelot]

Alan Clark (MP) may have been a racist who admired Hitler and Enoch Powell, but he's still regarded as a comedy God. Although in fairness, most of his insults were directed at other Tories.

He reportedly told Geoffrey Howe in evening dress "Bring us three Bucks Fizzes and keep the change." He also called Ken Clarke "A pudgy puffball" and said of Douglas Hurd he "might as well have a corncob up his arse". And he said Michael Heseltine was the sort of man who bought his own furniture, which isn't funny unless you're a member of the English aristocracy, but has a sort of absurdist quality. On Thatcher: "Attractive - but I didn't want to jump on her."

Also his solution to the Troubles in Northern Ireland: "The only solution is to kill 600 people in one night. Let the UN and Bill Clinton and everyone else make a scene - and it is over for 20 years." ROFL.