Ben Elton has insisted he did not intend to “mug” Rishi Sunak and dismissed claims the BBC is biased against Conservatives following his appearance on a flagship political show.

The comedian and documentary maker branded the Prime Minister a “mendacious narcissistic sociopath” when asked to give his reaction to an interview he gave to Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

Appearing as a panellist on Ms Kuenssberg’s programme, Mr Elton said Mr Sunak was “dripping with vanity” when delivering what was described as an “Orwellian word salad” in response to questions about the hike in interest rates.

His remarks caused upset among some in the Conservative MP, with a source accusing the corporation of being biased against the party.

They told The Telegraph that producers deliberately invite “anti-Conservative people” on to the programme to insult party members before it is “pushed out on social media”.

Tory MP Paul Bristow also lashed out at the comedian, claiming he was part of a “North London ‘champagne socialist’ clique”.