Laughing all the way to Brexit – Davis grins and bears election result

What would it take to wipe the smile off David Davis’s face? Mere days after the horror show of election night, the Brexit Secretary bounced into the broadcasting studios, sounding as bright and breezy as if the Tories had won a 200-seat majority. “In has walked David Davis, with the most extraordinary grin on his face,” gaped Nick Ferrari on LBC.

“Ha ha ha ha!” replied Mr Davis. He was the same on the Today programme. He chuckled when asked whether he blamed himself for telling Theresa May to call the election. “Ha ha ha ha! I’ll take responsibility for that – along with the other 20 or so Cabinet ministers who supported the decision!”

He chuckled when asked how much of the Tory manifesto Mrs May would now have to dump. “Some details will be pruned away … I’m not going to do it on air, ha ha ha!”

And, although he managed to sound serious when dismissing talk of leadership challenges – “the height of self-indulgence” – he chuckled when reminded that he himself had stood for the Tory leadership before.

“That was quite a good demonstration of the fact I’m probably not very good at running for the leadership. Ha ha ha!”

Not that there was anything unusual about Mr Davis’s behaviour. That’s just what he’s like. Through both good times and bad, he seems – at least in public – to exist in a state of perpetual chortling bonhomie. Whatever he’s on, the Tories should offer free doses of it in their next manifesto. They’d win by a landslide. Remarkably, he even managed to put a positive spin on the election result.

“We got more votes than Tony Blair at his peak, you know,” said Mr Davis.

He didn’t laugh that time, although the listener might have done.

In every interview, naturally enough, he was asked about Mrs May’s future. He stuck up for her with characteristic gusto. “It’s early days in her prime ministership,” he insisted to LBC. On Radio 4 he proclaimed her a “brave”, “decisive”, “incredibly effective” and “very good” Prime Minister.

“What you’re going to see over the coming months,” he promised, “is Theresa May at her best.”

Admirable though Mr Davis’s loyalty is, I’m not sure I’d buy a used car from him.

“Lovely little motor, this. Smooth as you like. Top of the range. And not a penny over £5,999. But it hasn’t got any wheels. Or an engine.”

“Well, all right, guv, if you’re going to split hairs. But take a look at that cup holder. Absolute state-of-the-art cup holder, that is. It really does do a top-notch job of holding your cup.

“Go on, try putting a cup in it. See? Beautiful cup-holding. You won’t find a cup holder that holds cups as well as that anywhere – guaranteed.

“No? You don’t half drive a hard bargain, guv. Tell you what – call it £5,989. Special deal, just for you.”