MPs won’t let Charlie Brooker take the piss out of them

Charlie Brooker exists to satirise. And when he is denied the opportunity to do so, he will petition his local MP.

In his Newswipe show, the broadcaster complained about a ban on the use of footage from the Commons chamber in satirical TV shows. The complaint was brought up in the House today by Ealing Labour MP Rupa Huq, his MP (also his sister-in-law –  the the sibling of Brooker’s wife, former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq).

Huq said: “My constituent Charlie Brooker has raised with me that he is unable to use it in his programme, Screenwipe – whereas other not dissimilar broadcasts are allowed to us it.

“It depends whether it’s satire, light entertainment, or factual. Given how vague these boundaries are and the fact that these rules were dreamed up some 27 years ago would he agree with me it’s a good juncture to revisit this and give a statement?”

Other satirical shows, including Have I Got News For You are also denied the use of such footage.

Essentially telling Brooker to get lost was Conservative MP Chris Grayling, who argued it would not be “appropriate” to overturn the ban, which has been in place since 1989.

Grayling said: “I think its very important the coverage of this House is used in an appropriate way, I am not in favour of it being made available for satire programmes.”

Because of the rules, Brooker was unable to use this footage of Rupert Murdoch being messed up with a foam pie in his 2011 Screenwipe:

He is, presumably, penning something dystopian about it as we speak.