Andrew Edwards, a Wiltshire town councillor with an extensive collection of neckwear, unexpectedly became the center of attention during the livestreamed parliamentary grilling of former Foreign Office civil servant Olly Robbins. While Robbins was the billed star, many viewers were captivated by Edwards, who sat in the background wearing a distinctive cravat.
“I’ve got a big collection,” Edwards said, explaining his choice of accessory. “They save the dirt around your neck from getting on to your shirt collar. I like to have my collars white and smart.” Edwards owns cravats in many colors, with red, blue, and green being his favorites. His look was completed by a red pocket handkerchief.
Edwards 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, whom he called a “sloucher.” While court proceedings are not usually broadcast, select committee hearings are livestreamed on parliament’s website and by major broadcasters. Edwards says it is worth making the extra effort to attend 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 throughout Robbins’ entire appearance before the committee, which lasted about two and a half hours. Robbins, 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.
However, Edwards had a different assessment of Robbins’ 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.” If he sat in the seat of the committee’s chair, Emily Thornberry, Edwards said he would have advised Robbins: “Sit up straight, Olly. Focus on us and keep your answers as succinct as possible.”
Edwards attends hearings to stay fully informed, so he can “talk with friends, colleagues and family” about politics. He finds this especially important in an age when people seek to criticize 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. 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 have 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, Edwards 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.”
For those who might want to follow in Edwards’ footsteps and see public service and accountability in action, he has some 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.”
