Can you tell the election from The Thick of It? Take our quiz

Over the last couple of decades, whenever there has been a general election – and there have been a lot of them – the overwhelming likelihood is that it will be so full of gaffes and panic that it will end up being compared to The Thick of It. This is a testament to the painful authenticity of that show and a sad reality of political discourse in the 21st century.

However, by anyone’s standards, the 2024 general election has been especially The Thick of Itty. At one point, the show’s creator, Armando Iannucci, pointed out that one fleeting talking point – the Conservative’s plan to let an independent body tackle immigration, to stop MPs from being tripped up on the subject in the media – was basically the plot of the 2007 special The Rise of the Nutters.

In other words, it is high time for a quiz. Below, you will find a list of events. Some of them happened on The Thick of It, others have happened in real life since the election was called. All you have to do is work out which is which. If you have been following events closely, this should be a cinch. However, if you checked out of the election long ago because you’re only human and you don’t want to lose your mind, it may prove a little more challenging.

1. The prime minister announced the election outside, during a downpour, without an umbrella, gifting headline writers a golden ‘Drown and Out’ gift.

   1. Real life

   2. The Thick of It

2. A candidate had a photo opportunity in a warehouse, answering questions from two men in hi-vis who were later found to be Conservative councillors in disguise.

   1. Real life

   2. The Thick of It

3. A candidate found themselves being followed around the campaign trail by a tabloid reporter dressed as some food.

   1. Real life

   2. The Thick of It

4. A candidate explained the need to rejoin the European single market while spinning around on a theme park teacup ride.

   1. Real life

   2. The Thick of It

5. A candidate was photographed sitting on a child’s slide.

   1. Real life

   2. The Thick of It

6. A search of a candidate’s social media history unearthed a tweet where he called Hitler ‘brilliant’.

   1. Real life

   2. The Thick of It

7. One policy manifesto promised a ban on plastic toys, instead offering ‘simple wooden toys for simple people’.

   1. Real life

   2. The Thick of It

8. A candidate’s private email, full of unsavoury language, was accidentally sent to a child.

   1. Real life

   2. The Thick of It

9. A candidate visited a Welsh brewery and asked workers if they were looking forward to ‘the football’, despite Wales not qualifying for the football.

   1. Real life

   2. The Thick of It

10. After a disappointing radio call-in show, a special advisor was heard threatening to track down and attack one especially contentious caller.

    1. Real life

    2. The Thick of It

11. A party memo, naming and shaming candidates who took time off campaigning to attend family events, made the papers after being emailed to the wrong address list.

    1. Real life

    2. The Thick of It

12. A candidate made the mistake of inviting cruel comparisons by visiting Belfast’s Titanic Quarter.

    1. Real life

    2. The Thick of It

13. A candidate struggled to find something he went without as a child during an interview, eventually landing on ‘Sky TV’.

    1. Real life

    2. The Thick of It

14. A candidate was left lost for words when a member of the public asked them if they knew what it was like to ‘clean up your mother’s piss’.

    1. Real life

    2. The Thick of It

15. A candidate exploded his chances of reelection by leaving a major international D-Day ceremony to give a TV interview about his election campaign.

    1. Real life

    2. The Thick of It

Solutions

1:A, 2:A, 3:B, 4:A, 5:B, 6:A, 7:B, 8:B, 9:A, 10:B, 11:A, 12:A, 13:A, 14:B, 15:A

Scores

1. 15 and above.

   100% correct. For god’s sake, go outside.

2. 14 and above.

   This is a very good showing indeed. You care enough about politics to both follow the daily news cycle and watch the defining political comedy of our times. You should be proud of yourself.

3. 13 and above.

   This is a very good showing indeed. You care enough about politics to both follow the daily news cycle and watch the defining political comedy of our times. You should be proud of yourself.

4. 12 and above.

   This is a very good showing indeed. You care enough about politics to both follow the daily news cycle and watch the defining political comedy of our times. You should be proud of yourself.

5. 11 and above.

   This is a very good showing indeed. You care enough about politics to both follow the daily news cycle and watch the defining political comedy of our times. You should be proud of yourself.

6. 10 and above.

   This is a very good showing indeed. You care enough about politics to both follow the daily news cycle and watch the defining political comedy of our times. You should be proud of yourself.

7. 9 and above.

   This is a very good showing indeed. You care enough about politics to both follow the daily news cycle and watch the defining political comedy of our times. You should be proud of yourself.

8. 8 and above.

   This isn’t great. You have a vague recollection of things that have happened during the election campaign so far, but nothing more. Actually, this is probably the best way to be. What are you distracting yourself with? TikTok? Videogames? A social life? Please, teach us your ways.

9. 7 and above.

   This isn’t great. You have a vague recollection of things that have happened during the election campaign so far, but nothing more. Actually, this is probably the best way to be. What are you distracting yourself with? TikTok? Videogames? A social life? Please, teach us your ways.

10. 6 and above.

    This isn’t great. You have a vague recollection of things that have happened during the election campaign so far, but nothing more. Actually, this is probably the best way to be. What are you distracting yourself with? TikTok? Videogames? A social life? Please, teach us your ways.

11. 5 and above.

    This isn’t great. You have a vague recollection of things that have happened during the election campaign so far, but nothing more. Actually, this is probably the best way to be. What are you distracting yourself with? TikTok? Videogames? A social life? Please, teach us your ways.

12. 4 and above.

    This isn’t great. You have a vague recollection of things that have happened during the election campaign so far, but nothing more. Actually, this is probably the best way to be. What are you distracting yourself with? TikTok? Videogames? A social life? Please, teach us your ways.

13. 3 and above.

    This isn’t great. You have a vague recollection of things that have happened during the election campaign so far, but nothing more. Actually, this is probably the best way to be. What are you distracting yourself with? TikTok? Videogames? A social life? Please, teach us your ways.

14. 2 and above.

    This isn’t great. You have a vague recollection of things that have happened during the election campaign so far, but nothing more. Actually, this is probably the best way to be. What are you distracting yourself with? TikTok? Videogames? A social life? Please, teach us your ways.

15. 0 and above.

    Somehow you have managed to do worse than chance and get every single question wrong, even the one about D-Day that I nearly deleted because it was too easy. You aren’t paying attention, you probably won’t vote, and everything bad that happens from now on is your fault.

16. 1 and above.

    This isn’t great. You have a vague recollection of things that have happened during the election campaign so far, but nothing more. Actually, this is probably the best way to be. What are you distracting yourself with? TikTok? Videogames? A social life? Please, teach us your ways.