Much harrumphing reaches Mr Steerpike today from the City of London. At last night’s Lord’s Mayor Banquet — the annual knees up at Mansion House to welcome the new Lord Mayor — the Prime Minister caused absolute chaos with his demands to exit in time to vote in the Commons.
The Loyal Toast and speeches were moved to before dinner — breaking centuries of tradition — in order to allow the PM to slip out and traipse through the lobby in his full white tie regalia.
‘It was very strange,’ said one man in tights. ‘We had the Loyal Toast before grace, then the toast to the Lord Mayor before we even sat down to dinner. It was an utter shambles.’
At least the Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling came back to dinner after voting.
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