May’s gift makes a big impression

THERESA MAY doesn’t have much to laugh about at the moment, but she managed to raise a wintry smile when told President Mauricio Macri of Argentina had once choked on a fake moustache while doing a Freddie Mercury impression. Which explains why the PM arrived at the G20 summit in his country bearing the gift of a book on Queen.

TREASURY Minister Liz Truss brought the house down with a jokefest of a speech at last week’s Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year Awards – but only after first-choice speaker Sajid Javid pulled out. Rivals of would-be party leader Sajid sniped: ‘He backed out because he realised he can’t tell a joke to save his life.’ No, insist allies of the Home Secretary – he was just too busy to attend.

WOE betide any Tories caught short during the key Commons Brexit vote on December 11. Dog hears that Chief Whip Julian Smith is threatening to employ a ruthless ‘cloakroom and bog watch routine’ to ensure every loyal MP makes it to the ‘back May’ division lobby.