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Bob Crow, General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and one of the founder members of the so-called "Awkward Squad", is to be a guest panellist on Have I Got News For You, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's top-rating topical comedy quiz show, for the first time.

He will join host Alexander Armstrong and fellow guest panellist Jimmy Carr for the sixth programme in this, the 38th series, to be shown on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One on Friday 27 November.

Born in Wapping East London in 1961, at the age of 16 Bob joined London Underground as a track worker and soon became active in the union.

In 1992 he was elected to the union's National Executive, and two years later became Assistant General Secretary. In February 2002 he was elected to the top job of General Secretary of the RMT.

Under Bob's leadership the RMT has seen a rapid increase in membership and is the fastest growing trade union in the country.

Proud to be known as "the most militant union in Britain", Bob and the RMT have secured major improvements in the pay and conditions of their members through their uncompromising approach to industrial relations, which has also made Bob Crow Britain's best known trade union leader.

He comments: "As a long-standing fan of Have I Got News For You I am well pleased to be the first trade union leader invited onto the show. I'm looking forward to an evening of sparring with Ian Hislop, Paul Merton and the rest of the panel. I've sat across the table from some sharp operators in my time, but I know that the Have I Got News For You crew will pose a different challenge altogether."

Remaining guest hosts and panellists confirmed to date for this series are: Jo Brand with guest panellists comedian Jon Richardson and the Right Hon Charles Kennedy MP; star of the gritty police drama The Wire Dominic West with Georgia-born stand-up Reginald D Hunter and Top Gear legend James May and sharp-witted comedian Bill Bailey.

AN