I grew up in Northern England. The times were grim, the steel mills and mines were shutting down, the Labor Party was unelectable and Thatcher was busy dismantling the government. By 1984 the conservative party had run out of things to break and was concentrating on its core competencies sex scandals, sleazy business deals, and French baiting.
Rik Mayall at the time was best known for playing the annoying anarchist/dweeb in 'The Young Ones' a show that was not quite as funny as it should have been. When 'New Statesman' came out it was not particularly shocking, Allan B'Stard was not too far out of the mainstream of Conservative philosophy.
The clip I pulled here is from a much later special, 1994 I think. This was during the John Major. This era was marked by financial crises, sleaze, and a general malaise. In subsequent years it was found that John Major (the most boring Prime Minister ever) had been having an affair with one of his cabinet members (the reviled Edwina Curry).
I consider America to be in the same predicament that the UK was at the time. A bold Conservative leader: Bush) being kicked out and replaced by a bland, directionless facsimile.
Hopefully Americans are smarter than the British were and will make the change now rather than wait another eight years to figure out what's going on (John Major was Prime Minister for seven years). We do have the advantage that Barack Obama is not Neil Kinnock (although Kinnock would have made a better Prime Minister than Mayor).
If people like this clip I will try to find more.