It was blockbuster viewing for politicos across the country: the livestreamed grilling of Olly Robbins. While the sacked Foreign Office civil servant was billed as the star of the show, for many he was upstaged by a well-dressed man wearing a cravat.
“I’ve got a big collection,” said Andrew Edwards, the scene stealer in question.
His appearance in the background of parliament’s foreign affairs select committee on Tuesday provoked many questions. Who is he and why is he rocking a cravat? The answer to the latter question is actually quite simple. “I’m a sad person. They save the dirt around your neck from getting on to your shirt collar. I like to have my collars white and smart,” he said. Edwards owns cravats in many colours, his favourites being red, blue and green.
Edwards, who is a Wiltshire town councillor, has been attending committee hearings and court cases for more than 20 years. He has often found himself in the company of high-profile names, including Alastair Campbell, Boris Johnson and Prince Harry, who he called a “sloucher”.
While court proceedings are not usually broadcast, select committee hearings are livestreamed on parliament’s website, as well as by major broadcasters. Edwards says it is worth making the extra effort to attend the sessions, which are open to the public, in person.
“I don’t watch them from home because you would want to do the ironing or some other work and you wouldn’t get to focus on what was being said. When you’re there from beginning to end, there’s very little that you miss,” he said.
Edwards was visible for Robbins’ entire appearance before the committee, which lasted about two and a half hours. The sacked Foreign Office civil servant, who was forced out of his post after a Guardian investigation revealed his department overruled a decision to deny Peter Mandelson security vetting clearance, was commended by many commentators for being sharp, calm and convincing.
What did Edwards make of his performance? “Absolutely terrible. The first job is to sit up straight, because that gives you ownership of the room,” he said. “The minute you start slouching, your voice starts to waver and it doesn’t come across with the authority that it should do when you’re a permanent secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office,” he said.
If he sat in the seat of the committee’s chair, Emily Thornberry, Edwards said he would have had some words of advice for Robbins: “Sit up straight, Olly. Focus on us and keep your answers as succinct as possible.”
Edwards said he attends hearings in order to stay fully informed, so he is able to “talk with friends, colleagues and family” about politics. He finds this especially important in an age when people seek to criticise public servants, including MPs. “You’re not just saying everyone is bad in parliament, because they’re not. They work exceedingly hard in these committees and they’ve also got to go back to their constituencies and deal with everyday issues,” he said. “I like to pay that respect by focusing on what they’re doing when they’re in committee.”
He has been taken aback by the attention he (and his cravat) has received this week. “I don’t know why it has caught people’s attention,” he said. Nonetheless, he believes dressing smartly is important for such events. “If you look smarter, it enables you to engage better.”
Despite his close proximity to prime ministers, government ministers and members of the royal family, he said he had never been denied entry to the events. “That doesn’t mean they don’t ask who you are. I tell them that I’m just a bloke and I’m here to sit in the public gallery,” he said.
For those who might want to follow in Edwards’ footsteps and see public service and accountability in action, he has some words of advice: “Think about your local authority, even your town or parish council. Think about Stormont. Think about Holyrood. Think about the Senedd. Wherever you are in the United Kingdom, there will be this kind of work going on.”