But as in all cults, what's central to the Communist Party is the belief system and the elimination of nuance. From there you're very slowly led down the road to fanaticism and mass murder.

Israel is the Jimmy Saville of nation states.

I did six series for the BBC and that was enough. I've been writing for ten years, which is more challenging artistically.

As a comic, you try something and if it works you go with it and grind it to death.

It always seemed to be a constant that my parents were political.

A lot of those comics can't hold down relationships and they've got no other life apart from performing. They sleep in their Jags and a lot of them can't even talk. All they can do is tell gags.

The optimum frequency with which comedians should do a series is every year. I do one every three years. My audience is literally dying off.