Rishi Sunak’s head-boy polish deserted him when he needed it most

Under hostile attack from the liaison committee, Sunak embodied a new, unpatented emoji: doomed prime minister face, writes Sean O’Grady

Prime minister Rishi Sunak has appeared before the liaison committee (PA)

As is perhaps less well known than it ought to be, Rishi Sunak was head boy at Winchester, and Wykehamists, as the products of this fine public school are known, are said to be marked by their exceptional politeness (“Manners makyth man” is the school’s charming ancient motto).

Sunak is no exception. Even when he tries to be rude, as when he “taunted” (I use the term advisedly) Keir Starmer as “Sir Softy” a few weeks ago, he doesn’t seem to have his heart in it. Or perhaps it was just a rubbish nickname. In any case, his gentle manners are not proving the asset they might be. He’s clever and competent all right, but maybe just a bit too... nice?

Faced with a mix of constructive and hostile questioning at the Commons liaison committee, which comprises the chairs of all the select committees, Sunak’s politesse never quite deserted him, but his usually sunny disposition sometimes did. At times, when he really needed to bite back a bit, his Wykehamist training seemed to restrain him from landing a killer blow, and instead he just deflated back into his seat, his face a portrait of bewilderment and pain.