Back in October, the comedian Stewart Lee and the Thick of It creator Armando Iannucci hosted an episode of Strong Message Here, their BBC Radio 4 ‘comedy’ programme. While Strong Message Here is better than Radio 4’s Now Show and much of the interminable comedy the state broadcaster churns out, the programme has the same air of two quite clever chaps being extremely satisfied with themselves.

I share this story not to gloat (too much) or to relitigate but because the whole silly saga took nearly six months and a large portion of bloody-mindedness

I share this story not to gloat (too much) or to relitigate but because the whole silly saga took nearly six months and a large portion of bloody-mindedness

This episode featured Lee discussing his concept of ‘fabulo-speculation’ a supposed technique whereby those on the right invent a complaint to attack their enemies, as though it were real. Think: ‘I’m not saying Keir Starmer is connected to these Ukrainian arsonists but some are saying there’s no smoke without fire, right?’

I don’t doubt that commentators on all sides do this kind of thing with abandon. But Lee – who has previously written on his blog that I am an evil right-winger (otherwise known as a research fellow at a 50-year-old think tank) – decided to single out an interview I had done........

© The Spectator