The Daily Show tries to figure out how Conservatives won Britain's election

Jon Stewart tries to understand Britain&#039;s big election

(Image credit: The Daily Show)

On Monday's Daily Show, Jon Stewart got to combine two of his favorite pastimes: Criticizing politicians and mocking CNN. Only this time, the politics was Britain's election, and the mockery was aimed at the BBC, which "has contracted a devastating case of CNN-itis,” Stewart said, defining the malady as "when a news organization spends a great deal of time creating visuals and set pieces which serve no discernible purpose and shed no perceptible light and actually distract you from what they were trying to find out." Don't worry: CNN got its share of mockery, too.

But Britain's Conservatives swept the election, getting an outright majority in Parliament. What was Prime Minister David Cameron's winning agenda? "A heady mix of grinding austerity and the killing of small, furry animals?" Stewart said. "What a popular message." He tried to find an explanation with Labour's Ed Miliband, but mostly found gotcha moments that don't translate across the Atlantic. (Eating a bacon sandwich is a deal-breaker?) If you watch until the end, Jordan Klepper reports from Britain on how their elections are different than America's. The big difference? It rhymes with honey. Watch below. —Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.