Sitting next to the prime minister, Oliver Dowden was glowering at the opposition. You don’t often see a good glower, so it’s worth noting one when it comes along. It was a mix of Paddington Bear-style hard stare and Draco Malfoy sneer. For a man who had just been appointed deputy prime minister, in place of Dominic Raab, he didn’t look very happy. I remember Dowden from his days as a genial centrist a decade ago, and have watched with fascination his journey from loyal supporter of David Cameron to loyal supporter of Theresa May to loyal supporter of Boris Johnson to loyal supporter of Rishi Sunak. He never managed to be a loyal supporter of Liz Truss, but there are limits to anyone’s flexibility.
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