A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Despatch Box

Marcus Brigstocke

How many Members of Parliament does it take to tell a good joke?

Another chance to hear political reporter Mandy Baker enlisting the help of the stand-up comedian Marcus Brigstocke to explore what happens when politicians try to be funny.

In A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Despatch Box, they find that while some stand-up politicians might just about survive the Comedy Store, others are just plain laughable. And Marcus also lets us into a few of the secrets of comedy.

Here are the names behind the voices in the opening montage: Vera Baird, Stephen Pound, Michael Heseltine, Tony Banks, Denis Healey, William Hague, Gyles Brandreth, Gerald Kaufman and John Smith. You'll recognise the woman heckler at the end...