Osborne’s ally: ‘In mafia terms, George has been disrespected’

Theresa May is midway through her first session of Prime Minister’s question time, and it’s a very different look. She and Philip Hammond look like siblings in the front bench, but Mr S was struck by the sight in the backbenchers. Look at the above screen: who’s that in the bottom-right corner? There’s the newly-sacked George Osborne, making clear that he isn’t going anywhere. The new Spectator is going to press right now, and a line in James Forsyth’s political column jumped out at Mr S. Here’s a sneak preview:

Allies of George Osborne are particularly irritated by his treatment, and feel that he was denied the chance to leave office with dignity. One former Cabinet Minister close to him complains that the new Prime Minister ‘dressed him down’ when she sacked him. He warns that ‘in mafia terms, George has been disrespected.’ Interestingly, Osborne has told friends that he intends to stay in politics.