Ian Hislop

“The one thing I've learned from 'Have I Got News for You' is that most of what we think of as news is, in fact, just gossip.”

“The problem with politicians is that they have to pretend to be consistent.”

“If you can't say it in a cartoon, you can't say it.”

“Satire is the last refuge of the powerless.”

“I have no respect for the office of Prime Minister. I have respect for the person if they earn it.”

“There's a great tradition in this country of laughing at the people in charge.”

“The joy of being an editor is that you can say what you like about people, and then they can sue you.”

“Most things are done for money. This is the root of all evil and the great truth of our time.”

“I think the role of the satirist is to be an outsider. To be the one who is not part of the establishment.”

“People often say to me, 'You're the editor of Private Eye, you must be a cynical bastard.' And I say, 'No, you've got it the wrong way round. The reason I do this job is because I'm a romantic. I believe in truth and justice.'”

“This is the first time I've ever seen a Tory budget that is going to be overturned by the House of Lords. It's a constitutional crisis, which is always good for a laugh.”

“The great thing about a panel show is that you are not responsible for the quality of the guests.”

“Journalism is about finding out what people don't want you to know. The rest is public relations.”

“The Queen is brilliant. She's so professional. I think she's a credit to the nation.”