‘Miles Kington deserves to be given a knighthood, at least for his services to humour, He is one of those very rare people who can be funny, effortlessly, for twenty-four hours a day’ - Richard Ingrams in the Spectator

The story behind this unlikely tribute is an intriguing one. Private Eye has uttered a series of appalling libels against Miles Kington over the years including accusations that he is a friend of Jeffrey Archer, responsible for the deportation of thousands of East European jokes into his column, behind the inability of the English to speak French, etc, etc. Finally goaded beyond endurance by the story that he was the only humorist of the 1980s not to be offered the editorship of Punch, Kington sued Private Eye and won a handsome out-of-court settlement.

Among other things, this laid down that Richard Ingrams should immediately resign as editor of Private Eye in favour of Ian Hislop, a close cousin of Kington, and that at some future date Ingrams should pen a cloying, fulsome tribute in his column in the Spectator to aid Kington’s book sales. Unfortunately, it backfired somewhat. Not only has it dished Kington’s chances of a knighthood for ever, it has also convinced the Independent that as his writing is, on best authority, effortless, money is wasted on him and they have offered him a drop in salary.

Consequently, Kington is now suing Richard Ingrams over his careless remarks in the Spectator. It is thought to be the first time someone has ever sued over his own agreed libel settlement, and lawyers are awaiting the trial with eagerness and open palms.

Welcome To Kington 1989
(A collection of Independent columns)