PM shows he's a natural at boring a room into a stupor

An afternoon with Keir Starmer isn't necessarily people's idea of fun.

- John Crace

Sadly, for the select committee chairs who make up the liaison super-committee, they didn’t have the option of saying no. This was one of their unavoidable triannual encounters with the prime minister. Still, at least they all had the Christmas recess to look forward to at the end of the week. They would need a long lie-down.

To be fair, Starmer also gives the impression he would rather not spend the afternoon with himself. He has no trouble putting himself to sleep with his tortured use of English. Mind you, he isn't the first prime minister to have worked out that boring the committee to death is the best strategy. And it helps that he's a natural.