Life imitates art. In February 2020, the American congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who holds a joint degree in economics and international relations from Boston University, made a reference to "famed economist Milton Keynes" (which is the name of a town near London) on Instagram. Yes Minister fans responded enthusiastically.
In the 1984 radio adaptation, Sue Lawley playing herself is replaced by Selina Scott also playing herself.
When Sir Desmond has trouble remembering the names of economists, he mentions "Milton Shulman". In fact, that was the name of the well-known drama critic of the Evening Standard from 1953-1994.