Recently released papers have revealed how Rory Bremner may have saved John Major from a leadership challenge when he was Prime Minister.
Documents from the National Archives tell how Bremner impersonated the PM on the phone to Eurosceptic Tory MPs in 1993.
They had planned to challenge Sir John's leadership, but the lead rebel thought it was the PM on the line and abandoned the revolt.
Bremner said: "You think you're being satirical but the reality is even more farcical. Honestly, who'd have thought that without a spoof phone call, a group of Eurosceptic backbenchers might have forced the prime minister to resign and taken us out of the EU. What are the chances of that?"
On 21 September 1993 MP Sir Richard Body received a call from someone he believed was the PM asking for the Eurosceptics' support.
After this and other alleged calls, they decided to pull back from challenging John Major.
But it was Bremner all along, working on his new C4 show and wanting to see of his PM impression would "fool anyone".
According to this story it clearly did. And Bremner himself posted this tweet after the story appeared in the press: "*checks date. Not April 1st. This is true (and mad)* Rory Bremner prank may have averted Tory party revolt"
You can here Bremner himself here.
