When people praised Tony Jay and me for Yes Minister’s prescience, we accepted the compliments graciously. But the reason the TV series always seemed up to date, and still does 40 years later, is that nothing ever really changes. When I was writing the sequel Yes, Prime Minister in 1986, I went to the Daily Telegraph’s offices in Fleet Street to read stories from 1956. I was curious to see how much things had changed. Guess what? They hadn’t.
The biggest story was about war in the Middle East (the Suez crisis). The government had lied about its Middle East adventure, which was an abject failure, and the truth was seeping out in spite of its attempt to suppress it. Soviet troops invaded Hungary, creating a refugee crisis in Europe. The “special relationship” with the US was in doubt because of Washington’s disapproval of UK and French defence policy. Questions were raised about the impartiality and independence of the BBC. There was fear of inflation, and a plan to improve regional disparities. I could continue but you get the idea.
