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The B'stard File: The New Statesman Exposé.
- GenresHumor
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
2 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Rik Mayall
46 books54 followersRichard Michael "Rik" Mayall was an English comedian, writer and actor. Mayall was best known for his comedy partnership with Adrian Edmondson, his over-the-top, energetic portrayal of characters, and as a pioneer of alternative comedy in the early 1980s. He appeared in numerous sitcoms including The Young Ones, Blackadder, The New Statesman and Bottom and even onto the big screen in comedy films Drop Dead Fred and Guest House Paradiso.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 12, 2022
As one of a plethora of books released in the 70s and 80s to promote or profit off a British TV comedy ‘The B’stard Fioe’ is a rather minor entry that doesn’t retain much value either as it’s own independent work or as a reminder of ‘The New Statesman’. The program that generated this book was moderately amusing, mostly due to the high energy performance of Rik Mayall as Alan B’stard, a rather scabrous fictional extremist Tory member of Margaret Thatcher’s government. In some ways an inheritor of the comedic sensibilities of ‘The Young Ones’, or perhaps a punk take on ‘Yes Minister’, ‘The New Statesman’ will most likely be forgotten by most, if in fact people know it. This a tie-in book that replicates in print some of the show’s humour will be a hard sell nowadays. Readers in 2022 will not have much cause to pick this book up except out of curiosity or nostalgia.
The actual contents of the book are passable if not exceptional as the jokes and comedic ideas presented are rather ‘one note’. B’stard’s corrupted and sexually perverse character is front and centre, and unfortunately there is no real variation. Familiar tropes about politics, the British class system, sexual peccadilloes of politicians in general and Tories in particular, and Thatcher’s conservative counter-revolution are all there, and to be honest it’s all a bit monotonous. To be honest what one might find in more recent TV programs such as ‘The Thicke of It’ and ‘Veep’ are far more interesting and voluble satire on politics etc so any prospective reader of ‘The B’stard File’ will have better contemporary alternatives to consider for their attention.
The format and design of ‘The B’stard File’ is reminiscent of earlier and better efforts, such as ‘Monty Python’s Brand New Papperbok’ or ‘The Goodies Disaster Movie’. There is an intriguing framing device of the material in the book being a dossier being collated by the police to potentially prosecute B’stard, and the author deserves some plaudits for this. The graphical design of the book is also worthy of commendation, though at times it becomes too hard to read the actual text. Finally, clocking in at under 100 pages that are almost all copiously illustrated, the reader will not have to spend too much time ploughing through the jokes.
Perhaps the best slant one can put on ‘The B’stard File’ in a contemporary context is that there is a certain extreme satirical presaging of the current moribund nature of right wing politicians both in Britain and in other countries. Alan B’stard might reminds readers of the careers of Boris Johnson, of Donald Trump, of Scott Morrison. They are the real world exemplars of how the corrupt, moralistic, greed is good Tory doctrines of the 80s became the raison d’être of populist demagoguery in western democracies in the 2010s.
So who should read and hopefully will enjoy ‘The B’stard File’? Rik Mayall fans undoubtedly will have a reason to pick up this book, as will those interested in British comedy of the last thirty years or so of the Twentieth Century. Students of political satire might also have cause to connect with this title. Outside of these niche audiences I’d be surprised if anyone else will give the book more than a cursory glance.
The actual contents of the book are passable if not exceptional as the jokes and comedic ideas presented are rather ‘one note’. B’stard’s corrupted and sexually perverse character is front and centre, and unfortunately there is no real variation. Familiar tropes about politics, the British class system, sexual peccadilloes of politicians in general and Tories in particular, and Thatcher’s conservative counter-revolution are all there, and to be honest it’s all a bit monotonous. To be honest what one might find in more recent TV programs such as ‘The Thicke of It’ and ‘Veep’ are far more interesting and voluble satire on politics etc so any prospective reader of ‘The B’stard File’ will have better contemporary alternatives to consider for their attention.
The format and design of ‘The B’stard File’ is reminiscent of earlier and better efforts, such as ‘Monty Python’s Brand New Papperbok’ or ‘The Goodies Disaster Movie’. There is an intriguing framing device of the material in the book being a dossier being collated by the police to potentially prosecute B’stard, and the author deserves some plaudits for this. The graphical design of the book is also worthy of commendation, though at times it becomes too hard to read the actual text. Finally, clocking in at under 100 pages that are almost all copiously illustrated, the reader will not have to spend too much time ploughing through the jokes.
Perhaps the best slant one can put on ‘The B’stard File’ in a contemporary context is that there is a certain extreme satirical presaging of the current moribund nature of right wing politicians both in Britain and in other countries. Alan B’stard might reminds readers of the careers of Boris Johnson, of Donald Trump, of Scott Morrison. They are the real world exemplars of how the corrupt, moralistic, greed is good Tory doctrines of the 80s became the raison d’être of populist demagoguery in western democracies in the 2010s.
So who should read and hopefully will enjoy ‘The B’stard File’? Rik Mayall fans undoubtedly will have a reason to pick up this book, as will those interested in British comedy of the last thirty years or so of the Twentieth Century. Students of political satire might also have cause to connect with this title. Outside of these niche audiences I’d be surprised if anyone else will give the book more than a cursory glance.
February 15, 2026
This was brilliant satire.
The Framing Device: The book is written as a "confidential police dossier" being compiled by the authorities to prosecute B'Stard. It contains "surveillance" photos, intercepted letters, and memos.
It explicitly leans into the idea that the entire political establishment is held together by mutual blackmail. It includes references to B'Stard’s wife, Sarah, and her "industrial-scale" sexual appetites involving other MPs, framing sexual deviancy as a currency for power rather than just pleasure.
The show was produced during a time when rumors of the "Paedophile Information Exchange" (PIE) and high-level cover-ups (later investigated during Operation Yewtree) were beginning to whisper through the media, though they couldn't be reported directly due to UK libel laws.
In one episode, B'Stard blackmails the Chief Whip by tricking him into "coming out." In the 1980s, the "Black Book" of the Chief Whip was rumored to contain the sexual secrets of every MP to ensure they voted with the party. The New Statesman portrayed this as common knowledge.
The character of Norman, Alan’s accountant, who undergoes a sex change to flee Interpol, was a satirical take on how the elite use "identity" and personal secrets as a smokescreen for financial crimes.
The show explicitly depicted high-level brothels protected by the police.
The scripts frequently used sexual secrets as the primary method of political advancement.
The show didn't just hint; it shouted that the British establishment was fueled by hypocrisy and suppressed scandals.
The B'Stard File is the "smoking gun" for fans seeking the deepest level of this satire, as it presents the character's life through the lens of a criminal investigation into his moral and financial depravity.
The Framing Device: The book is written as a "confidential police dossier" being compiled by the authorities to prosecute B'Stard. It contains "surveillance" photos, intercepted letters, and memos.
It explicitly leans into the idea that the entire political establishment is held together by mutual blackmail. It includes references to B'Stard’s wife, Sarah, and her "industrial-scale" sexual appetites involving other MPs, framing sexual deviancy as a currency for power rather than just pleasure.
The show was produced during a time when rumors of the "Paedophile Information Exchange" (PIE) and high-level cover-ups (later investigated during Operation Yewtree) were beginning to whisper through the media, though they couldn't be reported directly due to UK libel laws.
In one episode, B'Stard blackmails the Chief Whip by tricking him into "coming out." In the 1980s, the "Black Book" of the Chief Whip was rumored to contain the sexual secrets of every MP to ensure they voted with the party. The New Statesman portrayed this as common knowledge.
The character of Norman, Alan’s accountant, who undergoes a sex change to flee Interpol, was a satirical take on how the elite use "identity" and personal secrets as a smokescreen for financial crimes.
The show explicitly depicted high-level brothels protected by the police.
The scripts frequently used sexual secrets as the primary method of political advancement.
The show didn't just hint; it shouted that the British establishment was fueled by hypocrisy and suppressed scandals.
The B'Stard File is the "smoking gun" for fans seeking the deepest level of this satire, as it presents the character's life through the lens of a criminal investigation into his moral and financial depravity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews